For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Monday, March 11, 2013

Specialized Parental Training

I have lived with cats almost my whole life.
In fact,  I've lived with cats over 3 times longer than I've lived with teenagers.
And that's a really good thing because I believe cats provide the perfect  training for parents with teens.

My cat, Maddie, is energetic, spunky, and very curious.

At times of her choosing, she can be very affectionate and lovable, purring and rubbing up against my legs to be picked up and cuddled.  At other times she will jump at me and bite my foot.  So whenever she walks into the room, I survey her face, eyes and demeanor to try to determine her mood.

Maddie is not a lap cat.  She doesn't sit with you to watch TV.  Sometimes we wonder if she's in the house or if she is outside somewhere.  When it's gets dark and she is not home, we worry about her.  And then she comes sauntering in like it's no big deal.

When I'm working on my computer, she often walks back and forth across the keyboard to annoy me - and get my attention.  The times she chooses to desire my company are not always the most convenient times for me, but I'll stop whatever I'm doing to spend some quality time if she's in the mood.

Maddie likes to walk on the counters and push things off onto the floor.  Sometimes I let her when the consequences are not bad - like when it's just a pen or a paper clip.  But I always have to be watchful because she cannot always anticipate which things will be a disaster - like a glass of milk or an iphone.

Sometimes Maddie will just sit and stare at me without making a sound.  This can be very disconcerting and I wish she would stop and be friendly again.

Just a few weeks ago, she jumped off the deck into some really deep snow and sunk down wayyyy over her head.  Then she popped back out with a panicked look on her face.  I secretly laughed and got great enjoyment from this - but I would never tell her!

When I call her, she often doesn't answer.  She will answer texts most of the time though.

She is friends with me on Facebook, but not on Twitter or Instagram.  There are limits to just how much she wants you involved in her life.

Cats and teenagers are so much alike!  I've begun to blur the two.



But no matter how they act, you still keep coming back for more because you cherish the good times when they make you feel so special.  You love them no matter what. You also know that with time they will mellow out and be happy to be with you whenever they can.

But for now I just have one request.

Will one of you watch the finale of the Bachelor with me tonight?  It's not as much fun watching it alone!

PS.  I love you.







No comments:

Post a Comment