I drink my first cup of coffee in bed every morning and just about every morning, my cat, Lille En, gets in my lap. This used to irritate me because she would bump and nudge the hand holding the coffee cup and spill coffee on me, on the covers. I usually chased her off or tried to coax her to daddy’s side of the bed but this hardly ever worked.  

And then my beloved dog passed Brin away, and I discovered that my irritation with the other furkids died, too. 

I realized our time together is short. Every morning, coffee time is an irresistible invitation for Lille En. And I realized that changing my mindset completely altered what is otherwise the exact same experience. I am ready for the cat, and now I find that I welcome her. I give her attention and notice how beautiful she is and how soft her fur is. I listen to the sound of her purr. She sometimes wraps a leg around me like an embrace. I enjoy our time together.

This morning I realized it’s a meditation of sorts, not unlike the walking meditation that I like to do. In my cat meditation, I notice the cat, and I don’t think about anything else. Sometimes, Lille En goes to sleep, and I resume my coffee drinking. Sometimes, the coffee grows cold on the nightstand. Either way, I notice I am content.