Sunday, June 7, 2015

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Tonight's photos were taken ON THE SAME DAY AND TIME, in November of 2002. Mattie was seven months old. The funny part about this photo series was it showed that Mattie and Patches were never too far apart from each other. Which was interesting! Typically cats escape and want their privacy, space, seclusion, and quiet time. 

Certainly Patches needed that too, but for the most part she wanted to be right in the mix of things and wanted to observe Mattie. Mattie, of course was intrigued by Patches. So while he was on the floor playing, he was staring up at the couch at her and she was staring right back down at him! They were a riot together!!!




Quote of the day: Compassion automatically invites you to relate with people because you no longer regard people as a drain on your energy. ~ Chogyam Trungpa


Peter and I went out for a drive and shopping today. In one of the stores we went shopping at I came across an older adult who was working in the store. She acknowledged both Peter and I, but decided to engage me in conversation. Mind you, I did not start talking to her. She approached me.  She began by telling me that her foot hurt. So naturally, I responded empathetically, which inspired her to continue talking. Needless to say, she spoke to me for 20 minutes. I heard about her vein surgery, her marriage, the fact that she was married to a marine and stationed in Japan, and that she was a school teacher both abroad and in Virginia. Peter has a running joke with me, because he says if someone has an issue and I am out in public, they will immediately hone into me. I suppose Peter is right! This has happened to me all my life and I really wonder what intrigues others to talk to me? Does it have to do with Trungpa's quote tonight regarding compassion? I don't have an answer, but I do know that I have learned an awful lot about people over the years, and some of this knowledge wasn't even through graduate school and in clinical training. 

Recently, Peter shared with me a piece of paper he found in our dining room cabinet. He was cleaning a drawer out and literally just found it! It was a list of table rules he wrote down to guide Mattie's behavior. I remember Peter going over and over this list with Mattie when he was alive. Peter worked hard with Mattie to teach him etiquette and appropriate table manners. Which was no easy feat since Mattie was not motivated by food. 

While we were shopping, one of the stores had this framed stitching of table rules. I almost couldn't get over what I was seeing or reading! Mainly because they almost mimicked the rules Peter set forth for Mattie. This stitching says.........

1. Sit up straight
2. Chew with your mouth closed
3. Say please and thank you
4. Take small bites
5. Don't play with your food
6. Have pleasant conversation
7. Keep your elbows off the table
8. The napkins goes on your lap not under your chin
9. Eat your vegetables
10. Always give thanks

As we are now in June, our "Father's Day Lilies" are beginning to bloom. We planted these lilies years ago, but they are always timed around Father's Day. Or at least that is what Mattie and I used to say and call them. It is hard to believe that we still have the lilies and yet no Mattie with us.