There are few things that a purring cat on my chest can’t cure.

A couple of nights ago, I got a headache. I took some Tylenol and went to bed. I woke up too early feeling a little better, but the headache came back with a vengence after answering only a few emails.

My first instinct was to feed the headache, thinking that maybe it was a low blood sugar problem. The scent of my microwaving food caused waves of nausea. I put the food in the refrigerator uneaten, choked down some Excedrin and Sudafed and went back to bed.

I had to displace Maggie, my cat. Feeling guilty for taking her warm spot, I called her to lie on my chest. She crawled up and sprawled out. After only a few pets, she started purring. I took a deep breath and immediately felt better. I still had the pain. I still had the nausea, but somehow I felt better.

She stayed with me until the Excedrin kicked in, then she stood up on my chest, stretching her little back and walked to the foot of the bed: her mission accomplished.