My original plan for today was to go to work. But I had an unexpected day off due to high winds in the DC and surrounding areas. The weather team on TV said stay home if you can. Schools closed for today. I like to use bonus days like today for doing things I don’t get as much time for during the week. I used to try to make myself guilty by saying, “You should be…”
But I don’t do that anymore. I decided that if I had been at work I wouldn’t have been able to do the “should be doing” project anyway, so, when I find myself with an unexpected day off here and there, I use the day for reading, blogging, or working on a crafty type of project I’ve been meaning to work on. Sometimes I organize a space I have wanted to organize.
So, today I was sitting on the couch, watching a gardening show and reading some magazines that had been neglected lately.
Not used to me being home, the cat zeroed right in on the bonus of having me home and he curled up next to me on the couch and fell asleep. Little by little, I noticed my section of the couch was getting smaller and smaller and the cat was stretched out and sound asleep.
I looked over at him and thought, “Where have I seen this before?”
Of course I knew the answer. It’s called parenthood and now grand-parenthood.
Just like it is with kids, the cat eventually won the battle for space and I got up off the couch and we, me and the computer, moved to the table. The cat briefly woke up from his nap and looked at me with the most innocent expression, as if he was wondering why I left. Like kids, he stretched, and taking full advantage of the extra space, he sprawled out, and went back to sleep.
I don’t really mind too much, though. In time I know the cat won’t be there to steal the space and just like it happened with my kids, my grandchildren will eventually be grown with lives and kids of their own. Someday I might be sitting on the couch alone, and I will be longing for the days when my kids and grandkids wanted to snuggle with me on the couch. Those days of being squished off the couch or bed will be a happy memory for me to enjoy.
And that is why I take bonus days like today and instead of worrying about what should be getting done, I spend the day doing what I enjoy, even if that means I am being squished off the couch.
