My Grateful Kitten

This morning, after a night of sleep, I heard some "scritching" coming from my husband's bottom dresser drawer. I opened the drawer, and out popped our kitten, Lyra.

We adopted her from a shelter, and I put that montage together - since she's black, she's very difficult to photograph!  

Well, Lyra loves to get into small spaces!

Bandit and Lyra are buddies.  

Last night, every time I got out of bed, to investigate, Bandit would walk around my legs. And finally he plunked somewhere else, and I went back to bed, and the scritching stopped. So we slept.

This morning, I heard the scritching, and Bandit wasn't around. I opened the drawers in his dresser, and out popped Lyra!

She then proceeded to teach me one of the most important spiritual lessons I can think of in life: gratitude. She wasn't angry or mad or upset in any way. She was too busy being grateful! She ran downstairs (probably to use the litter box) then ran back upstairs to thank me. She climbed in and out of my lap and purred and purred and purred. Now, Lyra is a very active kitten. One of my sons is able to hold her and pet her. For the rest of us, she jumps down right away - "She's busy!" I say with love. Well, this morning, she just purred and wanted lots of petting from me! She was so grateful. She didn't blame me or anyone for her predicament. She was just grateful to be set free. And showed her gratitude for a good 20-30 minutes. And then we went downstairs to have breakfast.

This is my other son - a photo of him trying to hold Lyra - it's blurry because she's busy and has things to do - she has to jump down right away.

Animals are so filled with love and joy, aren't they? Gratitude brings many blessings.

"Our gratitude is riches, Complaint is poverty,

Our trials bloom in blessings, They test our constancy.

O, life from joy is minted, An everlasting gold,

True gladness is the treasure That grateful hearts will hold."

- Vivian Burnett

Christian Science Hymnal, Hymn 250

Bonus: just for fun:  The Gratitude Game