Daily Reminder # 94

I've been feeling very old and creaky today. Lots of things are aching and strange new rashes are bugging me and I'm in one of my phases where I feel exceptionally wobbly.  I was trying to think of what to write about and I ran across a poem written by the late, great Abigail. She wrote three poems in her long kitty life - she was approaching 22 when she died very peacefully on Columbus day afternoon seven years ago. Her poem is a good lesson for me in my current state of mind. She was a remarkable kitty. I still miss her.

THE ELDER KITTY SPEAKS AGAIN


I think my person is going deaf
I talk to her at the top of my lungs
And she just doesn’t seem to get it
Perhaps she is just slow in the way these humans are
They are remarkably clever sometimes
And quite the dullards at others
But I digress
Our new home is cold and damp
But I am glad to have the desert behind me
We are on our own again, Person and I,
And it feels good to be free to be ourselves
To have my freedom back is worth a lot
Person tells me that I’m very old
She seems quite obsessed with it
Like age is some kind of talent I possess
Me, I just take things one day at a time
And find what solutions I can to my troubles
It’s a bit embarrassing not to jump so well any more
I used to be quite the leaper once
And now I’m forced to pull myself up most places
Frustrating, I can tell you that - and embarrassing too
But Person roots me on and tells me I can do it
And so I can
You wouldn’t think it would make a difference, really,
But it does
Wanting someone you love to be right
I love snuggling up against her now,
Though I didn’t always – not in the same way, anyhow
I’m not sure sometimes, who is comforting who
And maybe it doesn’t matter 
As long as we are both at peace
I speak my mind these days
I’ve given up on being shy
It’s quite a relief, really to just be me.
Age has it’s privileges after all, I guess
And I’m learning that 
I’m learning too to enjoy the simple things
A patch of sunlight on the floor
A soft blanket
A tasty meal
And of course the sound of my own voice
Pitched loud enough for all to hear
I am Abigail, Elder Kitty
Hear me roar!  

                       - Abigail 

Some things I'm grateful for today:

• all my kitties
• resilience
• my computer
• my home
• water
• yogurt
• wars that end

Have a great day!

May you be as wise as an old kitty!