In my quest for wisdom over the 16 years I have lived this life as a cat, I have come to realize there are truths that simply can not be grasped until you attain some level of maturity.
When I was a kitten, as soon as I would feel tired I would simply find a little spot nearby, curl up, and fall asleep. I wasn’t really thinking about anything. Now that I am a much older, wiser cat, I am deliberately purposeful with my slumbers.
After living through the many adventures I have been fortunate enough to have experienced, I have come to truly value “rest”.
I want to make sure to fully enjoy these times of rest, because I don’t want to miss anything. …and I have many places I can choose from just in case someone else happens to be occupying the space when its time to rest.
This is one of my afternoon spots. The barstool is up high, and the warm afternoon sun this time of year cascades through the southwest facing windows of the house covering my whole face with warmth and comfort.
It’s quiet here in the afternoons, because the mom is busy tending to her work of the day, and the dad is handling his business of the day. My brother and sisters usually are also resting during this time.
I can see and hear the birds and other wildlife out the window. I can hear the sounds of the bayou outside. Inside I can literally hear the quiet, feel the sun, and sense my mind calming and coming to a place of absolute peace. I am intently listening for any clue, any message, any nudging that may be there….just as I fall asleep.
I am not worried about anything, because all I need to be thinking of is this very moment, listening.
…but it wasn’t always like that. It took years of living, watching, listening, and doing. It took me a long time to realize all the things I have worried about and allowed to rob me of peace and a calm mind all pointed back to the same source. …my own thinking.
It’s easy to let the past haunt my thoughts. It’s equally easy to worry about what may or may not happen in the future.
But the truth is, my choices in this moment will not change yesterday, and I may not wake up tomorrow. It may not come. So why not choose to learn from my past (but keep it in the rear view mirror only), be content with the moment, and excited to experience the gift that is…today, the present?
We can all be like I was as a kitten who just fell asleep without a thought, or we can choose to be purposeful, whether in our rest, or in any activity we may be involved in…today. It is my choice. It is your choice.
I look back and realize I have learned so much, yet still have so much to learn.
But what do I know anyway? I’m just a cat.