Assume the Position

Posted by VJ on July 8, 2015 in Blog | 1 comment

Assume the position

Size does not matter, well at least according to my cat, Mouse. My 14 pound 16 year old cat has the fortitude of the gods. She leads a life of luxury but makes odd choices. For example, she has a heated fur lined bed and opts for the crinkly plastic bag a foot from her bed. But what she continually teaches me is determination, no matter what the obstacle, such as unsuspecting sleeping humans. Her perfect heaven is within the armpit of my husband and she will do whatever takes to reach that exulted position. In the middle of the night, when the house is dark, quiet, and slightly chilly for an aging, malcontent, she announces her arrival and jumps on the bed. When my husband does not comply with her wishes, namely flipping over and putting out his arm, she begins a tirade of bouncing on my head, scratching my neck and otherwise howling in my ear. Finally, I succumb from the assault, hit my husband and yell (because he his sleeping after all) “Assume the position!” He groggily turns over and the cat catapults herself from the launching position of my forehead over to his side and curls up into her safe haven.

I admire her willpower to change the course of events to fit her needs. For example, my husband left the kingdom of the cat for work, so he could continue to provide food and shelter for the furry ball of willpower. She bellowed for the warmth of the armpit and the human incinerator to rest her weary bones. Until finally, I had enough of the crying and sleepless nights, I locked myself and my Great Dane in the bedroom and she had the run of the house including food, water, and shelter. I had peace and quiet in a 126 square foot space. She teaches me, on a daily basis, with enough desire and determination that you can have the life you want, even if you feel tiny in this world. I suppose it helps, as well, to have claws and teeth.