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Bonkers Lessons
I have a cat. She was 8 years old when I got her, so she came with her name: Bonkers. She is not my first cat, but in the way of most pets, she has been a unique and sometimes frustrating teacher.
I especially appreciate her lessons today, as I have just suspended my massage practice for a few weeks, and I am considering the alternate-reality feeling of the world under COVID-19 precautions. It is the perfect time to reflect and note down what this aging girl has taught me.
Lesson 1: Simplify.
Before Bonkers arrived at my house, I went to the pet store and spent way too much time standing in the toys and bedding aisle, wondering what to get in order to create the best possible life for this cat. Decision fatigue and my bank balance won out that day, and I went home with some simple felt mice and a feather toy. I figured I would get to know her, then come back and splurge.
Shortly after she arrived, she made it clear that she wanted just three things: a warm lap, good food and water, and a whole bunch of cardboard boxes. She has an assortment of cardboard boxes in an area I call “The Bonker Bunker,” and she leads me there every morning for play time.
Stuff, she teaches me, is not necessary. Time and attention are.