A Lesson Learned

It’s a morning ritual.  I wake up.  Wherever she is, when I open my eyes my cat knows this is the moment she has been patiently awaiting.  A leaping pounce on the bed, a well-positioned jump on my chest, and a ball of fur snuggles into my neck, welcoming me to the dawning new day.   My cat. I belong to her, and she belongs to me.

What does it actually mean, belonging?  Does she belong to me because I faithfully feed her, clean her litter box, take her to the vet, and dangle endless toys with swishy feathers and soft colors for her to swat?  No.  She belongs to me and I belong to her because I have a piece of her heart and she has a piece of mine. Very big pieces.

Belonging. It is not about food or toys or even a quite fancy cat tower in the middle of our family room.

Belonging is about trust and love and feeling safe and knowing you are treasured.

She teaches me this so well.  And I carry that lesson with me.  And the day begins.