Sleeping with the Cat

Our calico cat is a good sleeping buddy. Some people think that having an animal in or on their bed is horrific. There are those animal lovers who chose only one kind, a dog person or a cat person; I happen to like both. I draw the line at sleeping with the dogs, no dogs on the bed. But Callie who I like to call Patches is a wonderful sleeping kitty. She purrs and she cuddles. I love it when she chooses my lower back to snuggle against, it feels wonderful and the aches in it seem to lessen. It amazes me that grumpy Kiwi is her mother. Kiwi does have her moments when she's nice; she just is very much a cat, those moments are her choice. You reach to pet her and you might get a hiss or a purr, no telling. She doesn't swat at me, she has learned that I swat back.
Callie is just plain nice. Her fur is indescribably soft.She's better than Valium on my nerves, that soft humm of her purr. When I pet her, I often think of my brother Mark. We had a humongous orange tabby cat named Tootie. We obviously did not know how to tell the sex of a cat when we named him. Actually it was quite comical. As if the cat knew he had the wrong name, he was the biggest toughest cat in the neighborhood. Mark loved to sleep with Tootie. He rubbed his cheeks and chin and provoked a purr so loud you could hear it across the room. It's a pleasant memory, one that let's me know I'm getting older and am easily entertained.
Pets I think help us to stop and smell the roses, not just the cat box. Taking the time to sit down for a minute and relax; to pet the kitty. It's a nice time out. time for reflection, relaxation and hopefully thanksgiving.
My husband says the key to a positive attitude and contentment is thanksgiving. That's not natural for me. It seems there is always something I want. However, I can choose to be thankful. I can start with my fingers and work my way to my toes; everything works. When I take care of a 22 year old youngster paralysed from a car wreck; I really am grateful. We take so much for granted. Getting settled for the evening and stroking lovely Callie, my heart does focus on my blessings. Contentment really does come from a grateful heart.