A Guru is defined as a spiritual guide, personal religious teacher, or acknowledged master of a specific field. Rooted in Sanskrit, it translates to “dispeller of darkness.”
They serve as a counselor, exemplar, and spiritual guide who leads disciples from the darkness of spiritual ignorance to the light of self-realization and enlightenment.
This is the story of how my personal Guru traveled 5,675 miles to find me and change my life forever.
In June of 2022, I was making my rounds volunteering at Tabby’s Place. My visits were focused on the “Comfort Buddies” role, which involved seeking out cats in need of extra love in attention.
I entered the outdoor solarium and sat on the floor to make my lap available to anyone kind enough to warm it. I instantly heard the most unique and melodious song I had ever heard in my life.
It wasn’t long before a 20-pound, purring, white and tabby squishy angel claimed my lap.
He nuzzled my face and loved me like we were old friends, reunited after a long and painful separation. My heart was so full it could burst! I wasn’t thinking at all about having more cats’ we had just lost our Donuts in November.
Then a flash of red caught my eye. A cardinal had landed right outside the solarium. The cardinal symbolizes spiritual reassurance and fresh starts. That’s how I knew he was mine and I was his. We were meant to be.
So, who was this cat and what was his story?
I came to find out that Siesta was rescued in 2020 after an explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon. This massive explosion has been cited as the largest single detonation ever recorded. It sadly resulted in 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and approximately 300,000 people being displaced. The port, its people, and all operations, including hospitals, were devastated.
Siesta was found on the broken-down highway, sick and injured. Animals Lebanon quickly took him in and got to work trying to restore him to health. My sweet furry friend was wounded, had worms, infections, and struggled to eat. Eventually the rescue hit a wall in 2021 and connected with Tabby’s Place for help. That’s when our brave boy took a flight to America to be saved. 
For 2 months, the veterinary team at Tabby’s Place worked tirelessly to restore Siesta’s health. He was not the easiest patient. Understandably so after all he had been through.
How confusing it must have been for him to escape death and survive, only to be dipped in stinky ringworm treatments and get poked and prodded. He didn’t understand that all this urgency was to save him, not because danger was near.
Since I live with CPTSD, I could relate to his body and nervous system still living in the moment of the explosion, unable to separate past and present. Despite it all, Siesta prevailed and was healed. The Tabby’s Place team had performed another miracle for a cat in a hopeless situation. Once I learned his story, it became even clearer that we were meant to be together.
I learned from the team that Siesta would need patience with transitioning, daily meds, sedation for vet visits, and a team to do nail trims. I was all in.
I brought our boy home the week of July 4th. The timing was ideal, given that the holiday presents certain challenges for me. We kept him in our bathroom for transitioning, since it was huge, with windows, toys, and a cat tree. Our existing cats were a hard sell, and we didn’t want to force a too early introduction.
One night, I was relaxing on my balcony, enjoying the stars and the crickets … until there was an unrecognizable “BOOM” that shook the house and came from INSIDE the house.
My heart racing, I ran inside and upstairs to find the source. Thinking to myself, “please don’t let this be near Siesta,” I entered the bathroom and my fears came true. Our glass shower doors had spontaneously combusted with Siesta in the room! I could hear the glass sizzling. I had to find my baby and get him safe.
Fully panic-stricken, I got on the floor and found him under my vanity. Tucked in as small as he could, with his eyes wide and dilated like two infinitely deep pools of black, he was not there. He was back in Lebanon. The fear in his eyes broke my heart into a million pieces like the glass shards all over the room.
“Siesta, come here baby! Please, please, please!” I urged him. He wouldn’t move. Frozen in time and fear, he stared at me. I was beside myself. All I knew was I needed to get him safe, and I wasn’t sure if I was even safe in the room at that point.
That’s when it struck me: I needed to change my energy and do it quickly. I cannot help him if I am in panic myself. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, imagining the words, “All is Well,” as I let go of a long exhale. I relaxed my body and repeated the mantra.
When I opened my eyes, Siesta was still staring back at me with his eyes wide. “Siesta honey, it’s ok. Come here baby, you are safe with me,” I whispered calmly as I outstretched my hand. His eyes blinked a few times in recognition. He was back. Then, slowly and cautiously, he Army crawled to me. I scooped him up and out of the room while showering him with kisses and praises of how he was such a brave boy.
Siesta really blossomed with my husband and me over the years. Knowing his trauma was triggered by panicked energy, we tried slowly. We would pick him up calmly, but only about an inch off the floor, and for 2 seconds. Then the next time for 5 seconds, and so on.
By the time we had him for 4 years, there was no sedation needed for vet visits-just lots of Churu treats. There was no longer a team for nail trims; it was a solo task. He still didn’t like to be held, but he wasn’t screaming bloody murder. We were so proud of his progress! Our boy was confident and had learned how to trust.
In September 2023, I had a breakdown, when I became chronically ill. I had no choice but to leave my career and take care of myself. I needed to start living the lesson of regulating myself before I helped others, just like Siesta taught me in the past.
Siesta was there the whole time to make sure of it. He kept a watchful eye on me. Laying on me and literally hugging me on my darkest days. He loved to burrow under the covers and snuggle. Sometimes I felt like I was sleeping in his bed! Greeting me at any moment as if I was as exciting as a 2-pound bag of catnip.
He was always there when I fell asleep and woke up. Anytime I would become unregulated and anxious, Siesta was there in a heartbeat. He would make sure he was either on me or near me while bellowing his extraordinary meows. He wouldn’t settle until I did. That’s how he kept the lesson clear to me and would just give me a reminder!
On April 21, 2026, Siesta left this life for the next.
My husband and I thought we were going in for a diagnostic test, only to find out he was going into cardiac arrest. He was only 8 years old. The shock was heartbreaking and earth-shattering. While my husband held him, I guided him the way he taught me one last time. I took a deep breath and thought, “All is Well,” with his paw in my hand. I held his gaze and told him how much he is loved and special up until his last breath.
I will be forever grateful to be touched by the spirit of Siesta. He was my “dispeller of darkness.” A true Guru to me in the power of energy and self-realization. He taught me life long lessons of the importance of self-love, trust, and patience that have changed me forever.