Kindred Spirits

                Benny and I are of different generations. He was born 13 years ago and I was born 79, well, 79 plus, yet when we're together we seem to be on the same wave length! He loves his snacks and so do I. If I'm keeping him company when the family is away we sit in the den and I go to the same seat on the couch that he likes, the corner seat in front of the window. We both hate lightning storms. When the thunder roars and cracks  right above our heads Benny shakes like a leaf and I can't comfort  him because I am scared too! But to me the funniest thing of all is when the afternoon sun comes into a room, any room, whatever spot it hits is where I have to be...and he does too! So we crowd into that space together, and when the sun moves... we move. Wherever it is, he and I together, like in the kitchen, he will lay on the floor, I will pull up a chair....by the way, Benny is my granddog.

It's amazing to me what kindred spirits we are, not because we are different species but because of  the difference in our ages, "There is no generation gap between Benny and I,"  I boast, proud of myself that I am considered to be 'cool' by the younger generations unlike other seniors my age. But then one person, a friend... (friend??) decided to burst my bubble, "You're not of different generations," she said, "Benny is 12, but in dog years he's in his early 80's, the same age as you!" That was mean, wasn't it?

But what about me with cats? 

A year or so ago, a neighbor asked me if I could look in on Ozzie, her cat, while they go away for 2 days. "Sure," I said without hesitation (ie: without thinking). 

It was certainly easy enough to do, fill his water bowl and his food bowl and tend to his litter box and, this was important, stay and keep him company for awhile. The first day he kept his distance, eyeing me from the other end of the room. The word' suspicious' popped into my head. Yes, that was it, hmmm, did he know something about me that I didn't know? But I did do a little talking to him as I would with any household pet. 

The following day it was different, now he stood closer to me and looked up at me with his green eyes. " So, how are you today?" I asked him in my friendliest tone, and he answered, "Meow," but I learned soon enough  that being friendly with him was a bad idea. He misconstrued the signals because the next thing he did was climb up on me on my side!

"Hey!" I shouted, pushing him, "get off me. I'm not a tree!" He jumped off and ran out of the room. Was he trembling, I know I was. "I'm not your Grandma either," I called after him. I would have liked to go home right then but I had promised Sandy that I'd stay for awhile. So as I filled his water and food bowls, I did it while I making sure he didn't come near me. Sandy and her family would be back tonight and I didn't plan to tell her about it, but I would not cat sit again. 

"Well Ozzie, I'm leaving. It didn't work out between us, but don't take it personally... it's not you, it's me," I said and waved goodbye.

What a world! There are dogs, horses, and beautiful birds; then there are cats,and then there are bats snakes and crocodiles. I know that God made all the creatures, but does it mean that I have to love them all? 

                                      THE END