Happiness Is…

Being on the bottom of a purring cat pile…

Pinned down by 4 cats…. everything else can wait!

But the thing about happiness is it’s easily marred by external factors, as illustrated by this text exchange with my friend.

Me: <sending above picture> Check this out, all 4 cats on me

Friend:  I’m jealous

Me: Don’t be… I have to pee and my back hurts 🙂

And just like that, a cozy situation becomes uncomfortable (literally!)

This is why I prefer to seek joy.  Joy exists deep inside and can’t be stolen through discomfort or struggle.

Now, for a bit of Lucy.

Lucy is my more adventurous kitten (sometimes she’s lovingly referred to as “trouble”).  When I introduced an activity cat feeder designed to slow their feeding down, my two older cats gave me a you-can’t-be-serious look and sauntered (waddled) away.  Lucy, on the other hand, jumped right in.  When sticking her head in the tunnels didn’t work, she finally figured out to use her paw and was rewarded with first dibs on the kibble.

Lucy cleaning up… sort of

One thing I love about Lucy is she plays hard and takes investigation to an all new (sometimes frustrating) level, but when it’s time to rest, she knows how to do it right.  And for me, that is pure joy 🙂

This makes working difficult, but perhaps I could take a short break…

 

 

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy

I started this blog to document my journey and to keep the search for who I am from slipping onto the proverbial back burner.  Honestly though, it’s not always about me.  Some days (weeks) it’s about what others need from me.  One son needs me to get him from band practice or take him to the store.  My other son needs me to listen to him talk about cars, watch a TV show with him, and watch his archery tournament.  My job needs me to get stuff done in a timely manner, with few errors and to meet deadlines.  Sometimes, “me” just has to wait.

When I can’t focus on rediscovering my passions (my reasons to wake up each day), it’s nice to have a diversion in the form of cats.  The two older cats of the house are well-behaved (notice I didn’t say “well-trained” because I’m not convinced a cat can be trained, and if they can, I doubt I have the skills to pull it off.)

Of the two kittens I brought home a month ago, I’ve seen that one is by far more curious; she is the one leading her sibling into mischief.  Lucy is the adventurous kitty’s name, as given by the Humane Society.  I’m not inclined to change it, because it makes me smile.  She makes me think of Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy, how she always seemed to get herself into trouble of some kind, in such funny ways.

My kitten, Lucy, makes me wish I could say “Lucy, you have some ‘splainin to do” in a thick Cuban accent.  Here is some of what Lucy has been up to over the last two days.  (Oh, she is a busy, busy kitty!)

Lucy as Christmas package decoration

Lucy as… dinner??

Lucy vs. The Humidifier

In the days that follow, I would like to be a little more like Lucy.  I want to find a new place to relax and enjoy the view.  I want to be curious about the world around me and see everyday things with new eyes.

And I want to do it all anyway- even if someone tells me “no!” in a loud voice and sprays me with water.