The Lion, The Cat, The Monkey and The Sheepdog. – The Fellowship of The Ring.  

This little story title suggests some curious kind of Charlie Mackesy & Tolkien amalgam. But hopefully it will begin to make some sense as it unfolds. 

During the course of my health challenges in recent months, I have seen with new clarity, the beauty of family support. The specific attributes of the people closest to me have perfectly met my needs, and especially so in times of physical distress. It has felt like a kind of circle of completion as each part has fit together to make a giant hug around me. I know that I am very blessed. 

As a mother, I have given of my very best over the years in terms of sowing my time, love and energies into my family. And I have loved every minute of it. But particularly in recent months, I have been unable to be the person I have wanted to be. It has been hard to watch life go by and feel my sense of identity shrink. There are things I would love to be participating in but instead I have to be content to let them go due to my present physical limitations of wellbeing. Maybe sometime this will change. For now I am watching from the sidelines, but simultaneously experiencing something beautiful in and from those people around me. 

In this piece I will speak specifically of ‘My Boys’, but their families and my friends also bring a loving presence and consistent comfort for which I am ever grateful. 

My personal narrative and imagination have drawn me to compare my four strong men to animals. That may not sound overly flattering at first but hopefully you’ll see my reasoning as we go along. They will remain anonymised but many who know them will no doubt guess who’s who. 

Firstly the Lion. He brings an air of safety and solidity to situations. He is quick to advocate and is clear, firm and skilled in his communication with people on all levels, whilst also being friendly and a good listener. This has been really useful especially when I have struggled to advocate for myself in times of physical weakness or crisis. He has a lion heart and faces issues with bravery and courage. My Aslan brings extra courage and safety to my own heart by his presence. 

And then there’s the Cat. He is calm, warm and loving. His gentle, quiet presence brings a sense of safety in a relaxed kind of way. He slows things down, gives time and a compassionate listening ear and responds with kindness and sensitivity.

The Monkey and I have always shared a quick sense of humour and we seem to be able to think and see situations in very similar and often comical ways. This brings a necessary and welcome light touch to life even when it’s hard. He is also capable, assertive and clear when needed and is quick to respond and show his presence in situations. 

And lastly the Sheepdog- he does an amazing job of keeping everything going in the household. He is a man of patterns and routine and he gently herds me along on a daily basis, encouraging and helping me to do the normal things of life like getting up, washed and dressed. He takes me to appointments and organises the day to day necessities like meals and provisions whilst also setting into motion the responses required when my heart issues ‘kick off’ unexpectedly- often in the night. He is my faithful, faith-filled, ever present, reliable companion on this crazy journey. 

So there we have it. I feel so blessed to be surrounded and guarded by such strong, sensitive men. They hold me up in ways that meld together to make one perfect whole. As I said, together we feel like a complete circle. A ring of fellowship.