Lesson #8 Sunbeams, a Puffy, and a Blower – Succumb to Their Charms

There are times in life when “resistance” as they say, is futile.  Or, to put it in Big Ears terms, succumb to the charms of that which makes one  feel good all over.

Let’s start with Paralyzing Sunbeams.  When the sun beats down from the PDX sky and finds its way into my window, the results can be both disastrous and fabulous.  Disastrous because a sunbeam can keep me from my ever-so-important daily agenda of eating, bugging my people, napping on the bed, jumping on the other cat, and making myself more handsome.   And fabulous because time stands still and seems to be sprawling and calm when trapped in its gaze. I could go on for days and days about the luxurious healing qualities of a sunbeam but unfortunately for you there is one outside the window right now and I hear its siren song calling me.

Puffy.  What, you may ask, is a puffy?  A puffy is one of the greatest articles of clothing my people ever put on (well, okay, mostly my chick).  You see, she didn’t get blessed with an amazing fur coat like mine so let’s face it, she needs help to be warm and fabulous.  A puffy is long, almost down to the floor (she’s kinda short), and made from a fleecy material that is great to snuggle up in.  When I see her in it, I can’t keep myself from leaping into her arms and curling up like the baby I long to be.  You may laugh but it’s true!  You should see me in full-on baby mode – it’s something special.  On a chilly day, you should try a puffy and even if you won’t get rocked like a baby, you’ll feel pretty darn good. 

A blower.  When it’s chilly out and in, we have a blower in the wall that makes summertime blow all over my body.  I like to sit in front of it and get seriously blown all over.  Sometimes it’s so good I’ll just fall over and bask in its warm breeze.  Like a sunbeam and a puffy, it makes me feel comfortable and relaxed, unable to move on to other things like helping my peeps with cooking or reading the newspaper (I am a good helper after all).  But, it doesn’t t take long.  All you need is 5 minutes in front of a warm blower, with a puffy or a sunbeam and you, too, can experience a state of bliss.  Not sure?  Try it, you’ll see.

The People Say...

Yes, he’s a sucker for warmth.  When the heater comes on, he’ll park his kiester in front of it for as long as it keeps going.  And as for sunbeams, you should see him sprawl in a good one.  You’d swear he had melted.  A co-worker of mine once described me as the most self-indulgent person she’d ever met.  I took it as a compliment.  But I am a mere padawan to the Jedi master Gribbles.

Boy does that cat love being warm.  Put him anywhere near a heat source, and it’s all over.  But that’s a good thing.  He purrs like a V8 engine when he curls up on Kim’s puffy.  When we lived in Sacramento, the sunbeams were unbeatable.  He’d spend a whole day basking in one, lethargically dragging himself across the floor when the sunbeam had the audacity to move.  I’m not sure he’s forgiven us for moving to Portland, but he doesn’t let that hold him back.

As usual, he’s right.  Self-indulgence is good.  We all have something that refreshes and revitalizes us.  It could be anything from a massage to a football game.  But most of us don’t take the opportunity to indulge ver y often.  We’re too busy, or it’s too expensive, or sometimes it just seems too hard.  We even feel guilty about doing something for ourselves.  Not Gribbles.  Give him a chance to bask in warmth, and he’s all over it.  So next time you’re too busy to look after yourself, stop.  Find yourself a sunbeam, and lay down in it. You’ll be surprised what happens…

Lesson #6 - Don’ Let the Past Hold You Back

The Big G knows a lot about life.  Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned, or maybe you had a tough upbringing.  But don’t let that hold you back. Now is the time to leap into each and every moment. 

This is where you might be thinking, “Oh, he’s never had it rough, Mr. Fancypants with his pedigree and never-leave-the–house, luxury lifestyle.”  But, believe it or not, these ears have seen and heard a lot.  For example, I’ve been locked in a drawer for a day, locked in a bedroom for 2 days, and I get locked in the basement for minutes or hours at least once a week.  My people say it’s accidental, but sometimes I’m not so sure.  So you’d think I wouldn't go near the basement after all that locking in.  But the basement is one of the most exciting places in the house.  When one of my people opens  the door, I bolt to the basement.  It’s a wonderland of new and interesting things. 

Sometimes when I leap, I fall.  Literally.  You’d be surprised how hard it is to stick the landing when the person you’re leaping to moves out of the way.  But do I stop leaping? No, because leaping is fun!

Sometimes I eat too much or too fast and get a little tummyache and have to throw up, but do I stop rewarding myself?  Hell, no!

Life is too short and too much fun to worry about past misadventures.  Jump into it.  Be the party!  You’ll be thrilled (and sometimes a little bruised) you did.

The People Say...

I’ve never come across anyone or anything as resilient as Gribbles.  He might look like a fancy boy, but he’s as impervious as rock.  He actually did get locked in a full dresser drawer once, for a whole day.  So he just slept through it.  We’re still not sure how that happened, but can he get into some unexpected mishaps.  And as for the basement, he’s off like a shot every time the door opens.  It’s his own little adventure playground.  The laundry is down there, and it’s easy not to notice he’s followed you when you’re putting clothes in the dryer.  Sometimes it might be an hour or two later before you finally realize he’s whining at the door.  And it gets cold down there.  But next time you’re doing laundry, you know what’s going to happen...

And it’s not just small stuff like getting locked in places.  He’s had some really bad experiences, like oral surgery gone wrong, but he bounces back like a rubber ball.  He’s always focused on the next fun thing, whether it’s treats, playing, or a nap in bed with Kim.  And no matter how often he comes a cropper, he doesn’t change.  One time he was chasing a toy mouse, and he crashed into the kitchen cabinet so hard he snapped off one of his fangs.  But he didn’t miss a beat - he just kept on chasing the mouse. 

I used to think he was dumb.  I thought he just couldn’t figure out that things might go bad.   But I’ve realized that he just isn’t fazed.  The possibility of fun is way more important to him than the risk of despair.  And when you think about it, he’s right.  If you’re willing to be adventurous and take risks, you’re going to have a lot more good experiences than bad ones.  So go for it.  Sure, you might break the occasional fang, but you’ll have a heck of a lot of fun along the way.  Don’t let fear hold you back!