Sassy’s Blog: Cultivating Happiness in the Midst of Trial
Sassy Cat
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Sassy’s Blog, named for the very astute cat of WRC’s Supervisor of Direct Service and Resource Coordination Counselor, Kai Qualls. The theme of the Blog will be Resilience, which is especially timely given our shared uncertainty during the COVID-19 crisis of 2020. We hope you will enjoy and benefit from Sassy’s Blog, written from the perspective of our four legged feline friend!
By Kai (Sassy) Qualls
One thing I can say, as a cat, is that I am pretty happy most of the time. I cannot say the same for my human, however. She used to go out the door every day, and come back and play, but now she just sits in front of a white cube, tapping her paws on a noisy box for hours. I don’t get it, but it’s her favorite thing to do nowadays. She says she can’t leave, and frankly, it’s making her a bit cranky. When I feel her getting unhappy, I often walk onto the tapping box. It makes her crankier, but just for a moment, and then she pets me and pulls her chair away from the table to snuggle.
I know that makes her happy, but here’s the thing. How can she be happier for more of the time, even when she is stuck inside, or when her whole world has changed? All I can do is show her, and I honestly do. Here is my list of three things that would make any human happy.
- Savoring the good
I often demonstrate just how awesome it feels to sit in a warm spot in the sun, catching those rays. Sure, I sit for hours, but she would only need a few minutes of “enjoying” before going back to whatever odd, cranky-making task she has designed for herself. Just taking that moment to enjoy how it feels, to notice the birds outside singing and the smell of those flowers that are popping up everywhere Anything that brings her pleasure. That would do.
- Gratitude
I appreciate a good meal, a good scratch and a clean litter box. Those things are great! I often tell my human this, but she doesn’t seem to get it. Focusing on the good things that she has, instead of all the stuff she grumps about not having, could actually make her happier! There’s always gonna be stuff I don’t have.. like a mouse in my mouth, or a bed full of kittens.. but I have SO much good stuff I want. My human loves me, I get pets and snuggles… and much more. I bet there are lots of things that you have too, that if you think about them, and appreciate them, would make you feel MUCH happier. Even when you’re stuck in the house tapping away at the box like my human has been for the past 60 days.
- Self Appreciation
I know, I know, humans are emotionally clumsy beasts, they wreck things sometimes, and eat things they shouldn’t, but there is SO much good other stuff in there that I don’t think they see. I try to show my human how to appreciate her good side, by showing her how much I appreciate myself. My fur is always clean and shiny, I am super graceful, my balance is impeccable, and have you seen these eyes? Gorgeous. But enough about me. My human, and every other human, can be happier if they would appreciate all the good things that they are. Maybe it’s that they’re creative, or charming, or they’ve got the gift of gab, or even that they can clean a stove like nobody’s business. Whatever it is, it counts, so if you want to be happier, count it.
Well that’s all for me. Off to my morning stretch and nap in the sun. You take care, and by all means, be happy!
For Further Reading:
https://psychcentral.com/blog/3-ways-to-cultivate-happiness/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/how-to-be-happy/art-20045714