My cat Betsy was a wise and clever cat. She died at the age of 21, so had alot of cat-years to acquire her depth of knowledge about the world and how things worked.
She definitely became wiser as she got older. As a youngster, she had all that impulsiveness of youth, throwing herself into all manner of situations with little regard for consequence. She had boundless energy, explored her territory with curious and appraising eyes, was never one to sit on a lap and would not tolerate being picked up or held, so anxious was she to be on her own and experience the world. Even as an old cat, she didn't like to be cosseted, wasn't one for petting, but loved her comforts: warm fire, soft blankets, good food.
I often thought of Betsy as an old soul who'd come back as a cat. Not a bad way to be recycled, I guess, returning that way. As she aged, I used to see her just sitting there, looking around at the trees and clouds, thinking about life and its natural wonders, appreciating all she saw with the youthful openness and delight that had guided her throughout her long life.
OK, fair enough. Maybe she was just sitting there, thinking nothing, but I always believed that with Betsy, there was something more going on.
At 21, she wasn't physically able to scale trees and leap about any longer, but she could feel the sun on her nose, the wind tickling her whiskers, and hear waves at the beach and the chirps of the birds.
I can totally relate to Betsy's life philsophy. I am content to sit in the sun after a nice lunch, look at the clouds, listen to the waves as they swish up the beach. Sometimes a keruru (our native wood pigeon) will flop down onto the bird bath and take a sip or two, and the tuis are regular visitors for a bathe, splashing about in a whirlwind of water and flashing feathers that catch the sun, fluro-green.
Aristotle is quoted as saying, 'Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.' Betsy was comfortable in her own skin and, as I get older, I think I am too.
There is also this from JRR Tolkein: 'Never laugh at live dragons.'
Good advice for a long life.