Oh, Tracy. What a rich and beautiful story. Your kitty is healing and so are you in this relationship. She is showing you through her trust in you that you are trustworthy. I love it. As you earn her trust you learn to trust yourself more. Do your children want to connect with kitty? Usually children reach for or chase a cat. The children want to relate and don't realize they are frightening the animal. It can be quite wonderful to teach children that if they sit still the kitty can learn to come to them. Excited children are not attractive to kitties. But children who can sit still, be quiet and gentle will attract a cat to their side or even to their lap. Yes, I agree. There are many layers to these stories. Thank you, again for writing Tracy. I'm so glad to be part of your recovery journey.