Just Sam

 I don't know why, but one of my ginger cats has taken to sleeping in my room.

He knows that he is only allowed on my bed or the windowsill. At the moment, there's a big box in my room that he has claimed. It's a set of drawers for Hannah, so it'll be gone soon!

When David isn't working at night, I ask him to take Sam to his room, but Sam won't settle at all. He has to be on my bed, on me!  

At first, I was annoyed with him; he sleeps in the middle of the bed, and I have to keep pushing him to one side so I can stretch my legs a bit. But somehow it's become comforting. In the evenings when I'm sitting on my bed reading or watching TV, Sam curls up on my lap and starts to purr. That sound actually calms me a lot! Even if I've had a hard day or am feeling a bit down because of the usual worries (too many bills and not enough money, how to get this house fixed, how to......whatever the latest crisis is), the sound of Sam purring, the feel of his soft fur is like a balm to my soul, I stop thinking, I breathe deeply and tell myself that in this moment nothing is bad. I think that is the beauty of cats, only now is important. They don't fuss about next month's bills, about the house being a constant mess because of dust and spider webs; they just are. I need to be more in the moment. I'm always regretting past decisions, things I can't change and worrying about the future and all the "what ifs" out there. My what-ifs get crazy if I let them. The latest one is what if there's a massive earthquake. Why am I wasting time and energy worrying about a natural phenomenon that I can't stop! I can prepare, have water and food on hand, a first aid kit (which I need to check), but other than that, what can I do?

My evening with Sam have really helped me. When he is looking for love and to be played with, I put my book down or turn off the TV and really focus on him; that's when the magic happens. It's just such a relaxing feeling; it has helped me to unwind at the end of the day.

Just a little video of Sam on the box.