It is 6:00am. I am in bed. This is a time and place I like to do some writing but my new cat Abby is chewing on the corner of my ipad. That is actually a good thing. As much as I would like to just lay here and do what I want to do when I want to do it, she is reminding me that I am not alone, I have responsibilities, and she needs me. The irony in this is that my cat actually helps me to not be a “Little Old Lady with cats.” I’m not the kind of cat lady you see in cartoons, the stereotypical image of an elderly female cat hoarder isolated from the real world. Deep in my soul, however, I really am a “Little Old Lady with cats,” in a good way. Cats have shaped and influenced my perception of myself. They have taught me how to be a good caregiver, to live life in the moment, and to accept death as an important part of life. Cats are really good teachers. They are difficult to train, so they train YOU and they are masters at it. They know the value of rewards and they pile them on: looking adorable while sleeping, rubbing in a coquettish way on your legs and staring up at you with sparkly eyes, doing entertaining things like poking their head around the shower curtain when you are in the bathtub, curling up in your lap and sending warmth into your body and soul. How can you NOT give them what they want. And they do know what they want. Unlike dogs, cats are completely self-absorbed and don’t care a hoot about pleasing you. Unlike humans, like me, they don’t worry about what anyone thinks of them or what they “should” be doing. They are just cats being cats. That’s the most important thing I have learned is to accept myself for who I am and not worry about what I think I “should” be. I have learned to try to live cat-like in the moment and enjoy a nice nap in the sun. I have also learned a lot about loss after having had nine cats (one or two at a time) throughout my life. My most recent cat loss was Kitty who died this year. It brought up the emptiness of the death of my sister and all the other losses I have endured. It didn’t feel very good but it was a reminder that death is a part of life and acceptance is a part of being human. Life isn’t perfect, I’m not perfect, cats aren’t perfect. We are who we are and I am grateful to be a little old lady with cats.
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Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
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WHAT IS A LITTLE OLD LADY WITH CATS - REALLY?
(from an entry posted on 5/1/2015) “I definitely fit some of the characteristics of a little old lady with cats: Retired - check, Single - check, Like to knit - check, Have cats - check. . .I do not want to get stuck in my Little Old Lady persona, however. In fact, this blog is a risk taking experiment in exploring and redefining what I want my retired life to look like.” Categories
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