Learning to Rest

​"Cats are a wonderful waste of time."
~Alva Hughes Clark (Gracie)

Hestia (l.) and Circe (r.) observing the world from the porch on a sunny day.

I never met my mother-in-law. My husband and I were married in 2018, and she had passed on many years before that, but my husband often quotes her. She said many fabulous, curious, funny things — I get the impression she was a formidable woman. And on this point, the point about cats, I thoroughly agree with her.

​And although there are many lessons to be learned watching cats, the one I've been thinking of this week is this one — rest. There they are now, one on the cushions in front of the fire (which is not on today), and the other one, across the way on a chair. They've had food, they watched birds out the window, played "chase me" up and down the stairs. Then they asked for more food, and now they are resting. The entire day will be a repetition of these elements, with resting happening often.

How often do you, do I, feel tired, but press on because we feel we should? Yes, we have obligations that cats do not — someone has to earn the money to pay for their first and second breakfasts as chase me pays very little these days. But is there a little more room for some rest? How would you be more productive, more creative, more playful, more well in your health and relationships, if you only took the time to rest when you needed to?

Excuse me, I'm going to go have a nap.

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