In many ways, it is astonishing what a fine example Tiffany sets. Especially when you consider that Tiffany is a cat.

Whatever Tiffany does is sure to be in the moment. Even if it is only sleeping. If Tiffany feels like sleeping, she will never be kept awake by thoughts about what she didn't do or regrets about what she should be doing. She knows better than to waste time like that. Instead, she decides she wants to go to sleep, then goes to sleep where she decides she wants to. Sometimes it is on her favorite afghan at the foot of Jill's bed; sometimes in the flower basket that Jill brought home for her. Sometimes she finds a patch of sunlight to sink into or else crawls into some warm, dark out-of-the-way place in a closet. But she always knows what she wants to do and where she wants to do it. And she does it without a second guess. I know how hard any one of these decisions can be for me. So I greatly admire Tiffany for how simple she makes it seem.

Also, Tiffany is patient but persistent. If she wants to eat, she will wait until someone comes along to pet her. But when she feels that she has waited long enough, she will fix her eyes upon us so that we, too, know that she has waited long enough. Tiffany understands exactly what consideration she is entitled to and also how to get it. I myself am still trying very hard to figure all this out.

Tiffany is single-minded, too. If she feels like getting away from us all for a while, she knows just what to do. She will simply go to the front door and stare up at the door knob. She probably knows how to turn the door knob, too, but she isn't able to reach it. So she just stays there, staring up at the knob as long as necessary for one of us to notice and open the door. This may take a while, but nothing will cause her attention to waver. I find this ability astonishing, and hope that someday I, too, can acquire it.

Tiffany even has remarkably good taste for a cat - better, I think, than the taste of certain members of my household who will remain nameless. For I can't help noticing that every time the TV is turned on, Tiffany turns her back toward it. This, of course, causes me to consider her a very model of discrimination.

And even though Tiffany is completely, incredibly and unabashedly lazy, far from being the least bit concerned by this fault - or repentant - she shows not the slightest inclination to do a thing about it. Instead, she spends countless happy hours curled up, eyes closed, doing nothing. While this behavior may scarcely seem exemplary, it really is. For to be happy doing nothing is every bit as rare as to be happy doing something. So this too, may be seen as an unusual virtue.

And, while it is also true that Tiffany over eats considerably, she doesn't mind her ample girth at all. Nor is she the least bit self-conscious. In fact, she is completely oblivious to all the pernicious social standards and attitudes that might make her feel uncomfortable about her appearance. She has her own standards about what is or is not important and these standards have more to do with the kindnesses she receives than with the way she looks. This, of course, simply adds to her beauty.

And lastly, Tiffany never never speaks an unnecessary, much less an unkind word.

So Tiffany really sets an example for me. And indeed, I certainly consider her a fitting example for us all.

December 1996
BB