It was a peaceful morning in early fall. I had opened all of the doors in the house when I woke up. There is something about the flow of air through the home that brings me peace. I was moving around the kitchen getting the house organized for a birthday party for my son before anyone else woke up. One of the kittens ran through the house in a way that didn’t seem typical, I looked up to realize that he had something in his mouth. As I moved closer to him it became obvious that he had caught a bird and he was incredibly proud of himself. He had come in to show off his talent. He pranced through the home and then back out the door onto the 3 season porch. I walked quickly behind him and quickly closed the glass door. He turned around, full of pride with his chest puffed out only to find that I had shut him out of the house. I stood watching him as he stared back at me and I watched him sink into disappointment that I shut him out. With the bird still in his mouth he sulked off the porch and out into the yard. I stood staring at him and realizing what I had just done. He was so proud of himself and while it wasn’t something that I appreciated (I like birds alive and not dead in my cats mouth) I could have stepped out onto the porch and showed him that I was happy for him.

As I stood gazing into the yard allowing myself to drift between worlds, I began to see the situation as a much larger situation. How often, as a child, did you come running into the house with a bird that you worked so hard to catch only to be disappointed that no one noticed or appreciated your work? How often were you not seen? How often did you have to be your own cheerleader? How often was the glass door shut in your face when you were feeling so proud of yourself?