The Approaching Darkness

The preparations have been steadily underway for the past several days. I would say that the date of departure draws neigh, though I haven't yet been able to glean any dates or times. I am, alas, too short and cross-eyed to see the calendar on the refrigerator clearly, and do not have the ability to open the doors which so often separate me from persons having phone conversations. It is probably best. I tend to worry, anyway, and knowing exact details would only heighten my distress, and cause the onset of many stomach complaints and discomforts. Oh, the agony of aging...

 I do not look forward to being imprisoned with the other cats. (I know - such strong language makes me sound a bit like Nimrod. Yet, it is not an untrue statement. This home is paradise when the people are in it, and a lonely prison when they are not.) It is cold in the basement, which makes my joints hurt. Also, the foolish jockeying for social position seems to increase even as the amount of space we are given decreases. The boys become swaggering fools, I'm afraid to say, when we are confined downstairs. There is also the unpleasant matter of them spraying items in order to mark them as their own. It is downright barbaric, if you ask me, and entirely juvenile. Princess's mood, likewise, is never improved by having to share close quarters. Though, to be honest, I'm not sure that her mood deteriorates when we're trapped, either. Is there such a thing as worse than 'entirely unpleasant and chronically moody?'

For my part, I am determined to wring whatever peace, joy, and comfort that I can from these last few days before they leave. The lady of the house doesn't have much time to sit right now. But, when she does, I'm there in her lap. My nightly rounds to check on the children are all the more bittersweet knowing they will soon be departing. When I look into the impending unknown, I shall do so with valor. However, I prefer to keep my gaze firmly focused on the blessings of the here-and-now.

Savoring the Moment,
Charles