Spartacus “I feel so much better” – Photo: L. Weikel

Reprieve

Ah. Do you feel it? A slight ripple of calm, an underlying current, a non-verbal sense of ease encouraging us to take a deep breath for the first time in as long as we can remember. What do we even call it? A reprieve?

Merriam Webster Dictionary gives us this salient definition:

Reprieve. (Noun) (…) 3. : a temporary respite (as from pain or trouble)

Yes, that’s a pretty accurate description of how I felt today. For whatever reason, pretty much from the moment I opened my eyes to right now as I write this, I felt as though the headlock of pain we’ve been forced into lately just dropped a way. For a time, at least. <<Poof>>

If I’m honest, there’s a voice inside that’s naively hoping this is the harbinger of a new day. That it’s more than a simple reprieve; that it’s a new era. Alas, while I may wish it were so, I nevertheless trust the words that come to me, particularly the words that come to me during this sacred time of the day when I set aside everything else and dedicate my attention to my 1111 Devotion.

The word that came was reprieve. And the operative part of the definition that caught my eye (which was also included each of the other resources I checked ), the part I want to ignore but feel constrained to instead highlight? The word temporary.

We’ll Take It

But you know what? Life’s too short to keep ourselves on tenterhooks. Not only is it exhausting to try to remain ever vigilant, it’s also a fool’s errand. It’s better to trust our intuition, grab some joy or peace or simple relief when we can, and give ourselves a chance to recharge our hope batteries.

Things are changing. They are on the precipice of getting better.

It’s possible we’ll still be faced with rage and violence this week from people who’ve been radicalized by DT. But I want to believe that today was an example of the winds of insurrection being hit with the doldrums. Perhaps, if we’re lucky, the wind will soon be permanently out of those sails.

Spartacus Concurs

And so I offer this photo of Spartacus from earlier today. I mentioned the other night that he was bouncing back quite nicely from the shocking appearance of ‘cherry eye,’ and this is my proof.

A little background on this photo: We received a video this morning of one of our ‘Grandcats’ (we have four) stalking and pouncing on an empty paper bag, which Karl and I kept playing over and over. (Yet more proof that we were feeling the playfulness and simple joy of this reprieve.) It felt so great just to laugh.

In the midst of our chuckling, Spartacus, feeling oh-so-much-better than he was feeling last week at this time, started prancing around in circles chasing one of his chew toys. Plopping it in front of me, the message was clear: this reprieve is for all of us to enjoy, Mommy.

Play with me; dirty paws and all.

(T-313)