“Good morning, Dr. Mewu. I enjoyed meditating yesterday so much that I came to ask if I can join you and meditate together today, or would I be bothering you?”

“Good morning, Mita. Oh, it brings me deep gratitude; it is a pleasure for us to meditate together.”

“Dr. Miau, that day while I was meditating and had even forgotten my own discomfort, you advised me to name my thoughts and become aware of their similarities. This even led me to reflect on the word you used: ‘gratitude,’ rather than ‘thank you.’ You encourage me to understand how you guide us in our reflection, allowing our thoughts to flow freely.”

“Mita, what a beautiful conversation. It even reminds me of the boat I told you about yesterday—how I saved rainwater on the boat because I imagined that one day we might run out. One day, I went to give it back to the animals trapped on the boat. When we ran out of water, I even thought of the Jaguar, whom I was terrified of, but I felt it was better not to leave her thirsty.”

“Wow, Dr. Miau, you even wanted to be close to the Jaguar?”

“Exactly, Mita. As I meditated, calming my fear, my hunger, and being trapped on the boat, I thought how sad it was that the Jaguar stayed so far away, without water, and didn’t even know how to meditate.”

“Dr. Miau, I think you are famous because you can help so many animals meditate, and I would even say you know how to think of others.”

“Mita, you are very generous. Truthfully, meditation helped me meditate; it helped me so much. And when so many animals showed such generosity, I always wanted to share it with everyone. After all, we all learn along the path.”

“Dr. Miau: Yes. With peace in your mind, is that when you went to give water to the jaguar?”

“That’s how it went. She took the water and said ‘grateful’ to me. She explained that she doesn’t say ‘thank you,’ teaching me that ‘thank you’ (obrigada) comes from ‘obligation’—it’s when you feel trapped, in debt, bound to the person who helped you. But ‘grateful’ (grata) comes from ‘gratitude’—it’s when you acknowledge the good without becoming a slave to it. Better yet, she sat down with compassion…”

“Wow, Dr. Miau, I know so many cats. Sometimes we fight, but we are friends even with the opossum, even with human beings.”

“Dr. Miau: She drank it. But before that, she looked deep into my eyes. Do you know what she said when she said ‘grateful’?”

“Yes, Mita: did she say ‘grateful’ and explain why not ‘thank you’?”

“What do you mean, Dr. Miau?”

“That’s the exact same question I asked her, and she explained it to me. She taught me that ‘thank you’ comes from ‘obligation’—it’s when you feel trapped, in debt, tied to the one who helped you. But ‘grateful’ comes from ‘gratitude’—when you recognize the good without becoming a slave to it. The Jaguar said she had spent her whole life trapped on the boat, afraid, hungry, and that no one had ever shared water with her. When I shared mine, she felt gratitude. But she didn’t want to owe me anything. She just wanted to… show appreciation. That’s how we even became friends on that boat, as everything unfolded.”

“Wow, Dr. Miau. So the Jaguar even taught you to learn from everyone.”

“She taught me several things. She made me understand how words can trap us, opening my mind to realize we often don’t even know how the other person is feeling. Perhaps that’s why today I feel grateful that you came to meditate and talk, even about our difficult moments.”

“Dr. Miau, I am so grateful to you for helping me meditate and for teaching me. It is a good time for us to meditate now. And next time, I will tell you about a cat who shared a story with me so I could learn about the word compassion.”