Thursday June 3,

Dear Diary,

Yesterday, I had a friend who was visiting and they saw one of my cats who jumped on my bed and sat next to them. I always love it when I don't tell them about them and friends have their own experience.

Allie was my little orange cat that passed away a year ago from an illness after living a full life of 19 years. I had her as a small kitten and she slept with me. Buddy, the other cat who passed away a few years earlier, also hangs out and you may find them running around the house playing. You see a little gray shadow of a cat jumping up on things or hiding behind a chair.

The funny thing about Allie is that the night after she died, she walked on me and sat on me like she used to do, startling me out of my sleep. I was completely aware that she was sitting on me. After she woke me up and let me know that she was there, she jumped off and walked across the bed and was gone. She repeated this routine for a few weeks, which helped ease my grief each time she came to visit. Then the visits started to occur during the day as we saw her running around the house.

Last February, I was in India with my husband and sound asleep, when I was again startled out of sleep by the little light feet of a cat walking on me. When I awoke I could still feel the pressure of the weight of a cat on me as it made it's way toward my head. Then I realized that the family that we were visiting had no pets.

The windows all had screens and were locked up for the night. I turned my head over and could see my husband fast asleep next to me. I could feel the pressure of the weight of a small cat and I realized that it was Allie. She had found me half way around the world and had come to say hi. I smiled and found myself grateful that she had come for a visit so far away from home and right as I thought that, she jumped off and landed next to me and was gone.

I have heard people say that they don't think that animals have souls and also that if they do, they are not allowed in heaven. I know that is not true and that animals do have souls and are allowed in heaven.

But I must admit that it is a special gift when an animal will wait for us so that we can all cross into the light together. They are as loyal waiting for us on the other side as they were in this side.

I always have to smile when we have company who have no clue about the two cats that hang out with us and they have an experience. Even our cats and dogs walk widely around the other two when they are playing and running through the house.