i know you're strong

i know i have referenced the band "the weakerthans" before..
my mind often drifts to them when it's a rainy day
or a chilly day
or any day that makes you want to snuggle up in blankets of memories, reminiscing and coziness

the weakerthans have a song titled 'plea from a cat named virtue'
it's a song written from the perspective of a cat, speaking to it's owner
calling the owner on it's behavior & self talk

i wonder if my cats have wondered what has been up with me over the past few months
(and i say this knowing fully well that it could make me sound totally crazy! i do think that my cats are indeed CATS, not my actual friends or beings with thoughts & perspectives. but it's food for thought)
did they notice the shift in my personality?
did they notice when i spent more time crying than i did laughing?
do they notice the laughter coming back? and the tears decreasing??

we never let the cats sleep in our room over night. frankly, they are far too annoying at night. BUT i have noticed that on days when i'm home alone, or feeling down, or spending time curled up just trying to REST.. they want to be there. they curl up against you & will sleep there for hours. do they wonder why somedays it seems like that's all i have done??

i wonder if they would call me on my negative self talk, or words of frustration & bitterness. again, would they notice a change these days? as i make future plans and excitedly talk about life?

i really like this song. always have. it's catchy & poetic, and a mixture of silly & serious.
the last lines are a favorite of mine. the cat basically saying that he wants you to believe you are strong.

i think that through the healing process it's important to: rely on others for help & encouragement. take time to rest, and not feel guilty for it. simplify life so there are less unrealistic expectations & you can enjoy the simple things. have faith. AND... continually tell yourself that you believe you are strong.

here are the lyrics
plea from a cat named virtue
the weakerthans

why don't you ever want to play?
i'm tired of this piece of string
you sleep as much as i do now, and you don't eat much of anything
i don't know who you're talking to, i made a search through every room
but all i found was dust that moved
and shadows of the afternoon

and listen, about those bitter songs you sing - they're not helping anything
they won't make you strong

so we should open up the house
invite the tabby two doors down
you could ask your sister if she doesn't bring her basset hound
ask for things you shouldn't miss
tape-hiss and the modern man
cold water and card catalogues
to join us if they can
for girly drinks and parlour games
we'll pass around the easy lie
of absolutely no regrets
and later maybe you could try
to let your losses dangle off
the sharp edge of a century
talk about the weather or how the weather used to be

lie down, lick the sorrow from your skin
scratch the terror and begin
to believe you're strong

all you ever want to do is drink & watch tv
frankly that thing doesn't really interest me
i swear i'm going to bite you hard and taste your tinny blood
if you don't stop the self defeating lies you've been repeating since the day you brought me home

i know you're strong.