Remembering How to Relax

Once we arrived in Florida, and recovered our luggage, it was time to relax and enjoy the visit with family. Compared to the hectic pace of school days at home...not having a schedule, household jobs, or responsibilities has been a bit of a shock to my system.

My brother's family has gone out of their way to take care of us. My sister in law is an amazing cook and is feeding us well. Lounging on their patio, and hanging out in the hot tub feels heavenly. Even Oliver is doing his part to make our visit a positive experience.

Oliver is their cat. He has always hated me. Correction: he has always hated most people. Being the animal lover that I am, it's been hard to accept the idea of a pet that won't warm up to me. I've tried several times over the years, only to come to the conclusion that he's just a cranky cat. If I pass by him, he growls in warning, then darts away as if he can't stand to be in the same room with me. He has stalked me as I walked down their hall, springing from out of nowhere and whacking my ankles like I'm some sort of cat-sized prey. I've lost my dignity once or twice when I've broken into a run to avoid his attack.

I'd given up any hope of befriending this unapproachable creature, but this year, OIiver surprised us. He's about sixteen years old now, and apparently age (or senility) has mellowed him. I was breathless when he voluntarily jumped in my lap yesterday. At first I hardly dared to move, for fear his old personality would come back and he'd bat me in the head before running away. 

I guess Oliver doesn't hate us after all. I'm watching in amazement as he sleeps with my son at night, and goes from one lap to another while we watched a movie after supper. I've decided if Oliver can learn to be cuddly and nice after all these years, I can learn to give up a few of my Type-A habits and learn to relax a bit more. 

This trip has been full of pleasant surprises. I guess you can teach an old cat new tricks after all.