Life Lessons from a Neighbor….Kitten

She wants a cat. But we aren’t getting a cat. I love cats, but I’m deathly allergic. Plus we have a dog. So there is no discussion about it; we aren’t getting a cat. Just as her bottom lip began to quiver when we broke the news to her that we are a “dog only” family, our next door neighbors came home with a sweet baby kitten. The timing couldn’t have been better.

Kiera the cat is friendly and mellow, and not the least bit scared of Haile’s squeals of delight as she chases her around the yard. Kiera comes to our back door, stares in the window, and waits for Haile to come out and play. They play hide-and-seek in our bushes, and Kiera always lets Haile find her. And it’s perfect: at the end of their playdate, they go to their separate homes and everyone is happy.

I love to give my children what they want (within reason), and provide them with life-lesson experiences every chance I get. Having Kiera the cat in our lives on this part-time basis is an experience I didn’t expect, and yet has created opportunities for a handful of life lessons I was excited to teach.

First, was love and let go. You know the old saying… if you love someone, let them go. If they come back it was meant to be. Haile was lucky and got to learn this with Kiera. The first day Kiera pounced over the fence into our backyard to visit, she let Haile pet her and tease her with a little twig. It was love at first sight. But the day turned to night and the two had to part ways. Haile took it pretty hard when Kiera headed back toward the fence. “She’ll be back tomorrow,” I promised Haile, hoping it was true. “But I love her. I want her to stay with me,” Haile wept. “Doesn’t she love me, too?” I explained it to Haile as best as I could that sometimes if we love someone, we must let them go just so they can come back to us. It took a couple of days for Haile to see this in action. But she gets it now and I know it’s a lesson she’ll appreciate later in life.

Kiera the cat also helped Haile learn about courage. Here’s how. Our dog, Brindi, is a big and fast and superfriendly dog that loves to play with-and would never harm- cats. But to a small kitten like Kiera, Brindi is just a big and fast dog. One day, Kiera was playing with Haile in our backyard when Brindi decided to join in the fun. Before you could say kazam! Kiera was clinging to the trunk of one of the tallest trees in our backyard. Halfway up and halfway down. Brindi sniffed around at the bottom of the tree and then ran off when she was distracted by a butterfly. But Kiera hung there, too scared to go up and too scared to come down. “What’s wrong with Kiera?” Haile asked. We spent the next half hour discussing how Kiera was scared of Brindi and scared to go higher in the tree, even though either way there was nothing to fear. Soon Haile was coaxing Kiera down from the tree and calming the kitten’s rattled nerves. Later that evening I overheard Haile telling Kiera to “have courage like a lion” and “be brave when you feel afraid.”

I’m so thankful that Kiera is in our lives in the capacity that she is. It’s a perfect arrangement. Even if I do break out in hives every time she comes around.

Written by Eryn Hall of Grand Prairie, who blogs at:  http://mamahall.blogspot.com/