July 15, 2014 #Rituals : Man or beast, we all have them #shericonaway

Admit it.  In at least one area of your life, you have created a #ritual.  It might be around breakfast or your bedtime preparations.  Your dog might turn 2 1/2 times before settling down to sleep.  Sometime, our #rituals are so consistent that others come to depend on them.  But what happens when we change things up, either by intent or accident?

One of my particular #rituals revolves around my daily #meditation and goes something like this:

1. Sit down on the right side of my Lazy Boy Sofa
2. Put the paw printed blanket on my lap.
3. Raise the footrest and tip the chair back about 1/2 way.
4. Spread the blanket on my lap leaving feet exposed, and a single layer on my lap.  Excess blanket is bunched above my lap in case I get cold during the meditation.
5. Turn Pandora to ambient music on my iPhone and adjust the volume.
6. Wait for Munchkin to jump into my lap.
7. Give Munchkin attention via skritches and conversation.
8. Wait for Munchkin to settle into my lap.
9. Close my eyes and seal my field.
10. Begin meditation.

 Today, however, I moved number 5 to number 3 and sat there fiddling with the phone for a minute while finishing a coconut macaroon.  As she had not been alerted to my change of plans, Munchkin jumped into my lap, waiting expectantly, and showing her annoyance when she discovered that I had not yet performed items 3 or 4 in accordance with her unspoken rules.  This also meant that she had to wait impatiently on the arm of the sofa while her poorly behaved human got her act together. 



Munchkin didn't receive her nickname, "The Princess" accidentally.  I could almost hear her saying "We are not amused!"  as she perched uncomfortably while waiting for her nest to be prepared in accordance with her exacting requirements.  There followed several minutes of stroking and petting to compensate Her Highness for the inconvenience she'd suffered at my negligent hands.




Though we may all be creatures of habit in some aspect of our lives, #change does occur on occasion.  But when these rituals involve other parties, we have the added concerns of how that other party responds to change when we decide to alter those rituals in any way, even temporarily.



Cats, in particular, have their own, unique way of letting us know when they are displeased.   In Munchkin's case, I can expect to be interrupted at irregular intervals for the next couple of days to soothe the distress she's suffering after having her entire world turned upside down.  These moments are most likely to occur when it is least convenient for me, such as when I am:

1. Eating
2. Cooking
3. Sleeping
4. Sitting on the toilet

Fortunately, she isn't fond of water, so my shower time is my own!

She will also attempt to disturb some of my other #rituals in retaliation.  I'll be surprised if she doesn't linger on the bed when I'm trying to put it to rights in the morning, or decide she wants her breakfast in another location, to be determined by her, for the next couple of days.  Her Ladyship reserves the right to change her mind...ten or twelve times an hour...if she chooses.

If there were a point to this post, I suppose it would be that I have every right to my rituals, but once my furry roomies become accustomed to them, I'd best seek their input before making any changes.  After all, cats have staff, not owners.

My gratitudes today are:
1. I am grateful for my personal rituals.
2. I am grateful that I adapt fairly well to change.
3. I am grateful for my furry companions who make me more aware of what I'm doing every day.
4. I am grateful for a day of completed chores.
5. I am grateful to have gotten back to the gym, FINALLY!
6. I am grateful for the love, harmony, peace, joy, abundance and prosperity in my life.

Love and life