Today I lived like a cat

I woke up knowing something was different.

I sat on the edge of my bed and stretched, really stretched, the kind that takes its time, and smiled.

Tux was already meowing at my door. Before I could finish opening the door, he was rubbing against the cabinet that holds the wet food, because he knew. He always knows. Tux is a tuxedo cat, black and white with a dapper white chest and two white shapes flanking his nose that look exactly like a mustache. My son Zach named him, and the name fits like a tailored suit.

I pulled the can, filled the bowl and on my way to my cozy morning spot, I grabbed the cream from the fridge for my waiting cup. The whole routine unfolded like it does every morning, except yesterday, I had been the one living it.

No scratching at my own door. No managing the day from the outside. Just being in it.

My social feeds are basically a cat channel at this point and I read something recently that stayed with me. We can show cats love through routine. Keeping their schedule is their love language. And they grade you on it. Tux cuddles when I get it right. Cali just stares at me. I have learned to read the difference.

Today, I got it right. For myself.

It started slowly, the way good days do. After coffee on the balcony, my Feng Shui sanctuary facing south over the pond, sun warming my face, Cali tucked beside me and Tux surveying his kingdom from the cat tower. Cali is a tabby, all S’mores colors from nose to tail, named by my daughter Lexi. Cali and Tux are brother and sister, littermates who turned 11 in May and have never spent a day apart.

Sitting in the moment, I felt something loosen. The rain had come through the night before, leaving the wicker cushion damp enough to need a blanket. It was a cool, 64 degree Florida morning in June. A gift.

After a few hours of newspaper work, I took a late lunch break. And somewhere in that break I stretched out on the couch, found a new television series, looked around at my peaceful life and my furry pals settled in beside me and just… stayed there.

No guilt. No negotiating with myself. No scratching at my own door.

Tux was curled up on one side. Cali on the other. The three of us, horizontal, unbothered, exactly where we were supposed to be.

I don’t know when I learned that rest had to be earned, that stillness needed a justification, that a do-nothing day was something to apologize for. But I’m unlearning it. One cat day at a time.

---

My word stack for today:

Live + Love + Cats

Live [liv] verb | Origin: Old English, lifian, “to be alive”
Showing up fully for the moments that matter, mess and all, because perfect is boring and life is happening now.

Love [luhv] noun | Origin: Old English, “lufu”
The force that makes you brave, stupid and completely willing to risk everything for what sets your soul on fire.

Cats [kats] noun | Origin: Old English “catt,” Late Latin “cattus.”
Small creatures who choose you daily, offering quiet company, unconditional presence, and reminders that love needs no explanation.

These mugs are part of our Coffee Stories collection — word stacks inspired by my personal journey shared in these posts. Each memoir piece becomes a stackable memory you can hold in your hands. Start your own collection and create combinations that speak to your journey.