We have a new member of the family. An adorable kitten (name still under consideration). Needless to say, it has been quite difficult to concentrate on work of any kind with this little furry ball of energy in the house.
This is not necessarily a bad thing.
Because I am learning a lot from my little bundle of fluff. She spends her time exploring, playing, and napping—and in each of those activities I can gain fresh insights into what is really important in life…
Explore:
For kitten, the world is filled with wonder. Everywhere she turns there are new things to see, to sniff, to bat at or chew on. Each hour is filled with the joy of discovery and the simple pleasures of scaling furniture, finding new crevices to squirm into, and staring out windows. And her wonder refreshes my heart. We adults spend most of our lives immune to wonder. Our surroundings have become commonplace, and therefore boring. Looking at familiar things through the eyes of someone new can remind us that this world is filled with amazing sights, extraordinary diversity, and awe-inspiring beauty. Kitten is helping me slow down and notice it again.
Play:
Like children, play is the “work” of kittenhood. There are strings to be batted, toy mousies to pounce on, and tails to chase. In her enthusiasm, she often tumbles off pillows or furniture. Other times she tries to leap from one surface to another and doesn’t make it. (She is too small to leap very far just yet.) Whenever that happens, she pluckily hops right up and tries again. She is not the least bit ashamed of her mistakes. She takes them in stride, learns from them, and keeps going. We should try to emulate her willingness to shake off mistakes and keep trying. Because unless we are willing to make mistakes, we will not learn new things. And if we don’t embrace new things, we become stagnant. Our lives become a meaningless going-through-the-motions existence. As Gregg Levoy says in his book, Vital Signs: The Nature and Nurture of Passion,
A grown-up is often just the husk left over at the end of childhood.
I don’t want to be a husk! Like my kitten, I want to take mistakes in stride, keep learning, and follow my passions. Even if it means looking silly now and then.
Nap:
Hurtling around the house is tiring work and . So our little dynamo stops up now and then to nap and recharge. There is nothing so heart-meltingly tender as a small, helpless creature snuggled in your arms. Such trust. Such peace. Cradling a sleeping kitten does wonders for your blood pressure. It also reminds me that this is how we should go to God—with complete trust that he will watch over us. And I think that when we come to God in that kind of simple and sincere faith, he feels the same joy we feel when a squirmy kitten suddenly decides to crawl into our lap for a snooze.
Kittens.
They change your life, fill your empty nest, and restore wonder.
Now excuse me, I need to go rescue a decorative planter before the intrepid furry explorer tips it over.
The house is definitely NOT kitten-proof. Yet.
Ruth Morris says
Your kitten knows how to live a balanced life: delight in the everyday, welcome new things, rest.
Lisa says
Very true. If a tiny kitten can do it, why is it so hard for me?
Beth Ellis says
Love it. And I intend to apply these principles to my life immediately. Pleasese don’t phone for at least 2 hours.
Lisa says
Hmm, so after your nap are you going to play with string or go exploring?
Kathy says
Adorable!! Love this post, Lisa… Thank you!
Lisa says
How could I not write about such a cute little critter, right? Glad you enjoyed it.