Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I Corinthians 13:4-7
Time flies when you’re having fun. My wife & I became a couple 9 years, 1 month, and 6 days ago, proving that occasionally I am wise enough to make a good decision.
One of the benefits of marriage is experiencing things you never thought you would want to.
Spoiler warning : pine green
Feline warning : RED
This past year we have acquired two very adorable kitties, Oliver & Sophie. I used to say stuff like, “cats? They’re great on the BBQ” and I refused to contemplate inviting an animal to live in my home. I’m messy enough without having to pick up after them. People would ask, “But what about children?” and this still frustrates me. Pets are not people, not on a legal, biological, evolutionary or ethical level. And one would hope that eventually your children would learn how to empty their own litter box.
That said, I love my kitties, and I believe that they love me in their own special way. Can I prove that is a sign of affection when Sophie licks my nose at 4 am, instead of just an evolutionary trick to get food from a gullible human? No, but I believe it’s affection. Can I prove that Oliver likes me when he demands we play together, right now. Or that they like my company when they seek me out, just to nap where I’m at. Or when Oliver head butts me, while purring, at 5 am. I think it is love, when Sophie walked up to me, dropped a piece of cat food and started purring. (I pretended to eat it.)
One of the challenges, (or benefits for mental flexibility) is trying to understand inter-species communication. When Oliver looks at me & meows, usually it means he wants to play, within seconds or he will attack my head or ankles. And he has me trained to open the bathroom door and help him with the bathtub faucet, so he can drink the tastiest water ever. I wonder if this is what it will be like when we finally meet the aliens, no real clue what is going on.
And it is very entertaining for us to imagine possible kitty thoughts & conversation. It’s a way for grown-ups to play pretend. And doesn’t everyone need more play.
I suspect it is easier for the kittens and I to communicate, than for humans and God. I wonder if that’s how God feels about us, “sure, they’re self-centered, and always make messes, and only talk to me when they want something, but aren’t they cute? I think they love me in their own limited way.”