Appreciate the Minor Annoyances Loved Ones Create in Your Life

One of my cats woke me up early this morning.

She does this every day, no matter how much I want to sleep in. When it’s light, it’s time to get up, according to her. She’s very insistent on the matter!

My other cat was curled up beside me and I wanted to snuggle with him a little longer.

I’m usually annoyed and tempted to boot her out of the bedroom and shut the door. This morning was different.

I remembered my two previous cats. One has been gone three years, and the other for six. I miss them every day and would give anything to bring them back, but I can’t.

These two cats will eventually be gone too. So why waste precious time being annoyed with them?

Why not enjoy her unique personality as my little alarm clock? One day I will wish she was there to wake me up.

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The cover picture is of me and my mom at her 80th birthday party.

That was over 10 years ago. She is now in failing health and in assisted living. My goal is to get her back to her home, but I don’t know if that will be possible or not. The past 4 months have been a nightmare for both of us.

We have had a difficult relationship, but I love her. Despite all of our problems and all my frustrations, I miss her. We are now limited to weekly visits and brief phone calls, dependent on how well she feels that day. When she is gone, there will be a huge hole in my life.

We never realize what we have until it is gone.

The two of us are very different people. But I have to ask myself—was all that time we spent arguing really worth wasting? No.

I wish we had instead spent it learning to appreciate one another more. All of the arguments seem so stupid now.

A healthy relationship takes 2 people, but I regret my failings in the relationship. I allowed myself to argue with her way too frequently.

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At the end of life, does politics, belief systems, or a personality quirk really matter? Or can we be big enough to accept others as they are—a unique individual? It’s not easy, I know.

Can we learn to enjoy the moments that may never come again? Is it that big of an inconvenience that our pet interrupted us while we are writing? Take a break and play with them! One day they won’t be able to, and you will have missed an opportunity.

We are given a limited time on this earth to love each other. One day you will give anything to be in someone’s presence again—annoyances and all.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.