Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Here kitty kitty...

(Homer the blind wonder cat.  Thanks to http://www.gwencooper.com/ for use of this photo.)
I love cats.  I grew up with cats.  I am also severely allergic to cats.  I may never live in a home with a cat again, but I can certainly appreciate all that there is to love about these little beasts.  I think I relate to the cat.... independent, seeks snuggling and affection, speaks up loudly when there is disagreement, and rejoices in a good spot of sun in which to lazily lay napping.

I am in the middle of reading a wonderful book called Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper about her life with a blind but certainly not handicapped black cat named Homer.  The book is about Homer's unquenchable zest for living and adventure.  As the reader goes through the daily exploits of this exuberant feline we grow with the author as she traverses through the most common of human occurrences.  The story is really how one woman is taught how to embrace life from her sightless cat who doesn't realize that his blindness is supposed to be a disadvantage!

Wouldn't life be amazing for each of us if we approached the trials and downs of life with the same type of blindness!? Here is a paragraph from the book that illustrates what I mean:

"It was Homer's confidence that, in my most disheartened moments, also made me feel the most ashamed of myself.  Wasn't Homer the cat who wasn't supposed to be able to do anything?  To meet new challenges or be independent?  Wasn't he the one who'd inspired me once with his willingness to climb as high as he could without knowing exactly how high he was going or how he would get back down?  Every leap Homer took was a leap of faith.  Homer was living proof of the adage that fortune favors the brave, that just because you couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel didn't mean it wasn't there." (Homer's Odyssey, pp. 104)

So, a challenge to each of us - to let go of the fear and leap with faith.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

2 comments:

Mer said...

Aw, Karen - I love you. You have no idea how horrible the last few days have been, and how very much I needed this. Thank you! -Meredith in Spokane

Christina said...

Thanks for the update! As a life-long cat lover, and, of course, with all the things I've learned from the wonderful "disabled" people in my life, this sounds like a book I MUST read. Love you!!