My Little Black Fur Balls (a cat story)

I woke up to the presence of this black silhouette this morning:

(picture is from "the archives", since I don't sleep with a camera)

My heart swelled with joy and my early morning thoughts wafted to the way I feel as I wander through our home and find these little black fur balls lighting up our lives.

They are so similar in appearance, that I still can't tell them apart without a few cues to tell me who I'm talking to, when one of them jump up onto the computer desk or directly into my line of vision.

Yet their personalities are so vastly different that I can tell them apart easily by the manner with which they handle themselves when they are across the room from me. 

Call me a crazy cat lady, but it warms my heart to wander into my son's room and notice at least one cat perched up in a favorite spot or nestled in and acting like they are in a comatose state of slumber, when we know they are not. They are just so at ease with our noises and our habits and our ways and feel so incredibly safe in my son's room that they know they can sleep easy in our presence.

Jet, our new kitty, loves the great outdoors. I know he would love his own personal cat door, so he could come and go as he pleases but he has discovered he can scale our six foot fence with ease so he has to be supervised. And even then, he slips in and out of the yard like a ninja. Now you see him, now you don't. That's our cat. So I will call him, wander around the yard and I know he isn't there. Then suddenly he will reappear, laying comfortably on the bed of rocks in the "dog area", like he had been there all the time: 

(another re-enactment, since I didn't take a picture of the actual occurence)

Ray, our "scaredy cat" came into our lives afraid of everything. He is still afraid of any sudden moves, children or anything or anyone unfamiliar to him and my Second Son. This summer, he has overcome his fear of our back yard. It was a very tentative love-of-outdoors at first but now he laps up every opportunity to investigate and hunt down bugs and anything that moves. 

Last night, our two black kitties joined us in the back yard as we cut down the maple tree which invaded our lilac bush's territory. We were busy at our task but we could always see two black silhouettes in our peripheral vision. Each, curious in their own way, often in opposite corners of the yard.

Suddenly Ray used his pent up cougar speed to race across the yard and chase down and tackle his prey (that would be New Kitty, Jet). I've never seen him utilize his racing gear like that before. Then after a sufficient period, he did it again. I've never seen him run with such abandon and carefree spirit.

These guys bring a smile to my face hundreds of times a day. 

Gazing at a resting cat soothes me. Chasing down our kitten who attacks our toilet paper roll each and every morning makes me chuckle. Cat wrestling and cat chases amuse and entertain me.  Finding a cat at my side in the morning starts my day out right.

I can't think of a better way to wake up. I can't imagine my life without these unique and special purring fur balls. I can't imagine a life without loving and being loved by these guys.

My children with fur. It is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. The circle of love knows no end. I'm so grateful for this little gift among so many others in this quiet little life of mine.

What are your gifts? The ones you open each and every day and are unique and special to you. Open those gifts and enjoy every moment of joy you find within. Turn on the music to your soul and inhale it today. Breathe in the oxygen and energize your soul with whatever it is you need. These little gifts are precious. Handle them with care.

Cat Wrestling - a moment that goes along with my morning coffee and kick starts my day