Serenity Saturday

legaljen1969

“Peace doesn’t mean that you will not have problems. Peace means that your problems will not have you.”- Tony Evans

What a great quote. It is sometimes easier said than done to practice this in our lives. I think it's very important to find moments of peace and serenity in our cancer journey. Sometimes the worry overwhelms us. Sometimes the treatment overwhelms us.

Try not to let problems "have" you. Find some reminder of serenity that you can access frequently. Maybe it's a bird in your back yard, or your pet. I know not everyone is a cat lover, but my cat is my reminder of peace on earth. He just finds a place to sleep, curls up in a ball and the cares of his world just melt away. When I come home, he jumps up on a table by the door and sits there until I scratch his head. It's like my troubles just go away when I touch him. It all feels peaceful once I see his eyes and feel his fur. Do what makes you happy. Find your serenity and your peace. It is there. I promise.

Carool

Good advice! Thank you.

I love cats (can’t have any, unfortunately). “My” cats are the ones I see daily (more than once a day) on YouTube, The Dodo, Love Meow, etc. They are amazing animals. My favorite kind of cats are the testosterone-fueled feral males with those huge heads and big cheeks, brought in from outside and eventually tamed. But all cats are great!

I do feel relaxed when I look at cat videos.

MarcieB

I have a cat too. I never had them growing up because I was allergic. But, my husband came with a cat - they were a package deal, and my vet said I would adjust if I live with one and he was right! So when we lost that cat I looked at my husband and said, "Well, now I have to have one." My current cat is one who strayed into my neighbor's garage, starving, freezing, and withered ear. We took her to our vet and found out she was a *he.* So Gracie (which is what my neighbor and I called her) became Rocky and he is mine. It turns out he has an autoimmune disease which is very common among strays, so it will shorten his life. There is no way of knowing when it might kick in, but however long he has, he has with me. I have had him 5 years this March and so far he is robust!

We should post cat pictures on our pinboard!

Molly72

We also have cats--- but I don't know how "peaceful" they are!
The older one wakes us up every day at 6:00 AM, the baby one is learning bad habits from her and helps wake us up.
Other than that, and eating our plants and chasing imaginary and real creatures & bugs, they are pretty well-behaved and more fun than a barrel full of monkeys.
We also have a feral beauty who lives in the neighborhood and is fed everyday. We can't get close to him/her, but are amazed that it has lived for several years outwitting coyotes and Michigan winters.
So peace for me is helping and having and caring for a furry creature that might not have a warm and loving home. Peace to all creatures!

Carool

MarcieB, feral males brought in from the cold are my favorite kind of cats (those big cheeks and heads!).

I’m surprised that there was any question re Gracie/Rocky’s sex, if you know what I mean (lol). I’m assuming he has lots of hair!

Carool

Molly72, your comment made me laugh (though being awakened at 6:00 every day would definitely not make me laugh)! I guess it’s good that they get along.

Teachertina

I love cats too! Have had lots over the years, none now. I really enjoy my returning hummingbirds and feed them all summer. They fascinate me with their antics. They come back to the same spot where I hang the feeder every year. I can’t move it somewhere else. They fly around that spot to let me know that’s where they want it! Lol! Very good for mood elevation!

legaljen1969

I very much love my kitty. His name is Bananas. He is so much company. He loves to follow me everywhere and he wants to be near me most of the time. I came home from running an errand today and he got out of his perch by the window and got in the chair me and curled up on my lap. My family always had cats and dogs when I was growing up, but I was pretty indifferent about them. I loved them and enjoyed having a furry companion, but once they were my cats and my responsibility- it was a whole new level of enjoyment. LOL
Our first cat (the first cat my husband and I got) was a beautiful calico named Betsy. We had her for 12 years. When she first came to us, she hid under the bed for about 4 days. She barely even came out to eat or do her business in the litter box. She was very timid. I had called the shelter lady because I was worried she wasn't eating and she might be sick. Just as I got on the phone, my husband called out to me and she had come out and hopped up on the ottoman and made herself at home. She remained a fairly timid cat, greatly enjoying a quiet atmosphere. She was very social with us (me and my husband) but she wasn't big on other people. She crossed the rainbow bridge in 2016 after a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. It was heartbreaking, but she was a wonderful cat.
About 2 months later, I wasn't quite ready for another cat but my husband missed having a little pet in the house so we set out to look for a new companion. We went to almost every shelter in the county trying to find a cat. Nothing was coming together. We headed into PetSmart to donate some things we had purchased just before Betsy left us. At the back of the store was a little cat display area. We walked back "just in case" and this orange force of nature came right up the window and started rubbing and trying to play with us. We asked to be let in to observation area. As soon as we walked in, they let us take him out of the cage. He jumped down and then jumped right up on the bench next to us and spread out across my legs. It was as though he knew. I knew too. They called the shelter that had placed him there, but no one was available to meet us that day to do the adoption paperwork. Sadly, we had to leave him there for the night and you could just see the sadness in his eyes like "OH no, they are leaving me behind." I walked in the next day to pick him up and he headed to the back of the cage determined to get out. I took my carrier in, got him in the carrier and we filled out the paperwork. He rode all the way home without so much as a tiny little meow. I unlocked the carrier when I got him inside the house. He got out, hopped up on the couch and turned around a couple of times and fell straight to sleep.
A few weeks later, Hurricane Matthew headed our way and my little Bananas became an evacuation pro. Over the next three years, we had to evacuate three more times and he just got in his carrier curled up on his blanket and slept. He's not scared of much of anything. He loves meeting new people.

legaljen1969

I posted some kitty pictures and a couple of quotes.

KB2013

MarciB, great story, you have a kind heart and a happy cat.