Alex and Toast
April 20, 2009 by Jill Cornfield
Filed under Health
Our cat, Toast, has an uneasy place in our household. She’s not that nice. She’s somewhat aloof (except at mealtime) – but she needed a home, and we needed a cat, and she found us, so that’s that.
We all have different opinions. Jeff and I aren’t that enthusiastic about Toast mostly because of some incidents where she’s peed on our bed. Ned really likes her and carries her around and brushes her and gives her treats. Alex ignores her most of the time. Now and then when we first got her (if you can call allowing a cat who walked through your front door to stay “got her”) he’d reach out and push her. This was possibly, according to one of his therapists, a way of amusing himself by making her move. “He can make her go, almost like a toy,” she explained.
These days, Alex leaves her alone. Unless she’s on one of our tables (coffee or dining room). If so, he never fails to reach over and attempt to get her off. For months we thought he just didn’t like her that much and couldn’t resist the chance to express a little disdain. But the other day it hit me. Almost every night, Toast jumps on the table while we’re eating. And we hate this, and we’ve told her so.
And I think Alex has heard us screaming at her to get OFF THE TABLE while we’re eating – and he’s thinking, There’s that cat on the table. They keep telling her to get down. Well, I’ll make her get down.
We used to tell him to leave her alone, but now I think Alex has the right idea. It took me a while to figure it out, since Alex is often very clearsighted about something we’re missing, but now I agree. That cat should never be on the table.
Image: Jill Cornfield
Dearest Jill, Alex, Ned, Toast, and Alex,
Thanks to all five of you, most of all, Alex. I have known you Alex since birth, although from a distance. When you were born, I became acquainted with a remarkable human being who had then had more packed in his little body than any other person I have met in my almost 60 years and the so-called brightest minds of our times. You exhibited incredible strength, brilliance, wisdom, a remarkable and incredible ability to adapt, and, what was particularly important, an innate ability to deal with individuals (especially professionals) who didn’t have the capability to really help in the most meaningful way.
Although Alex I am now a little farther away from you (not my choice), I still observe you and see a very special young man who already is a giant. There will be great difficulty ahead, but I also see wonderful things for you and those that love you in the future.
Lesson I Think Alex Is Teaching All of Us Today: TRUE AWARENESS OF OTHERS CAN ONLY OCCUR WHEN YOU HAVE TRUE AWARENESS OF YOURSELF AND HOW THAT COLORS YOUR VIEW OF OTHERS AND THE WORLD.
G-d Bless to a wonderful and special family!
A Fellow Traveler
I love the photo of Toast and the very life-like model of her!
Howard, God bless you too for thinking good thoughts about our family! You have always been a kind, generous presence.
Jill