A Lesson From Sema

I see lots of lessons in nature and here is a new one. Meet Sema, Richie’s kitten. She’s been adjusting to her new home nicely. Bella, on the other hand, has not quite fully embraced this little one. Sema doesn’t seem to mind. And this is my lesson from her.

Bella growls and hisses when Sema approaches.
Sema knows how far she can go.
She stops at the edge of Bella’s comfort level.
I wait for her to retreat and go another direction (as I would have done), but she doesn’t.
Sema stays.
And then, she inches forward a little more.
Bella growls and hisses.
Sema stays.
Instead of avoiding Bella, she chooses to continue
in the direction she desires.
She walks by fairly close, yet still at a safe distance.
She chooses not to run.
Sema keeps moving forward.
Sema gets to where she wants to go.

Watching Sema has been a lesson for me to not run when I’m confronted with an uncomfortable situation. She knows the boundaries and comfort zone and pushes a little further each time while knowing not to push too much. Sema doesn’t back down or run and stands firm in what she wants. If she wants to go to that side of the room, she will do it. She may take steps and inch her way there, but she does it.

This is such a great lesson. When we’re faced with a growling or hissing situation, we can follow Sema’s guidance and keep inching forward and not give up. We can pause at each step until the stress eases a bit and then continue our quest.

How grateful I am to be able to witness this lesson!