They are my friends, and my children. Because, like children, they must be tended: they must be fed certain things and in certain ways. and they must be cleaned up after. They cost me money, time, and effort. They cause me aggravations in great variety. Yet they bring to my house life, for they are creatures of intelligence and individuality. Being in their company gives me peace and hope. As I watch them, I see many lessons on how God meant his creatures to live. I try to learn from them the two most important rules in life: How to live with myself and how to live with others.
I watch them simply being themselves; being satisfied and contented when they rest -- they gather around each other, calming and soothing each other as they become quieter after their playing. Their gazes are serene, reflecting the peacefulness in their minds. Their world is very small and quite perfect. They are untouched by the vanities and deceits of the rest of the world outside. But it is a world I must try to cope with and survive in. It is a mercy that I can escape that world and find solace and companionship in them.
Because their needs are so profoundly simple, they are simply met, and profoundly enjoyed. When they are at play it is with timeless gracefulness and great abandon. They are laughter without sound, they are smiles in motion. They reflect the power and instincts of the big cats of the wild. They seem to have no doubts and seldom fear. All of their attentions and concentration are focused on here and now -- and all in each other. In that sense, they inhabit eternity, on a daily basis. They are well made and beautiful, colorful, sleek animals. They -- around and wrestle with each other with great exuberance. Yet I sense nothing vicious in their attitudes, no matter how lively and excited their play becomes.
Towards me they display the warmest affection and the most interested friendliness. Whenever they can, they always stay in the same room with me. There is an implied complement that where I am is the most important place of all to them, that they might miss something special if they are not with me. They fully demonstrate their gratitude and their love, every day. How could I possibly respond to these warm, furry, lovely gifts from God with anything less than the deepest wonder, appreciation, and humility.
Latreia
