Bella - the gift of fully living

Bella, Bella, Bella. She is the light of my life. She is a (new-to-me) 5-year old calico cat who we adopted in August, and I love her fiercely! Her path to our home was circuitous, but she made it.

Our last cat, Denim, was beautiful, smart and high-maintenance. She had a lot of health issues. And she was painfully shy her whole life. I loved her greatly, and after she was gone, I wasn’t sure about another cat. I’m newly retired, I like the freedom from responsibility. But slowly and surely I felt the tug to adopt another cat.
 

I had a long checklist - easy-going, friendly, low maintenance, definitely already litter box trained. I got all of that and more with Bella. She has personality by the boat-loads. She has a history - her first owner was elderly and passed away. Her next owner had two other pets that Bella was terrified of and she hid for 2 years. They eventually put Bella outside where she was found and taken to a shelter. Then we stepped in. She quickly adjusted to being the queen of the castle and she makes me laugh every day. Bonus: she is teaching me how to fully enjoy life.
 

Bella freely rests when she wants to. She is a play warrior - giving her whole self to play, whether it’s chasing a mouse on the string or her own tail. Bella jumps to catch things as high as she can, moving freely and having unselfish-conscious fun!

Most of all, Bella has clearly set boundaries. She is loving, cuddly and a lap cat when she wants. When she’s had enough, she will leave to spend quiet time alone in a private place, luxuriating in a sun beam, soaking up peace.

I used to say I want to be a cat because they seemed to have it so easy. But after watching Bella, I now want to live like a cat - joyfully playing, resting freely, and taking time for myself, soaking up peace and sunshine in my soul. Letting go of yesterday and loving today.

I believe we can do this. We were meant for so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Watch your favorite animal - maybe it’s your pet. Maybe it’s the squirrel chattering outside your window, or a chipmunk racing through the garden. Let go and simply enjoy the moment. Feel the smile on your face and your muscles relax. You’ve got this!