A sense of curiosity is nature’s original school of education.
~Smiley Blanton
A cat adopted in Louisiana and raised in Memphis, Tennessee doesn’t have many opportunities to see snow. But a few years ago, my tabby Libby Lou — lovingly referred to as the “worst cat in the world” — finally got her chance to view a winter fairyland.
Surprisingly, Memphis had received a substantial snowfall. And Libby Lou, who loves to look out the windows through our louvered shutters, was very aware that something was up.
I had watched her when she approached the window on that snowy morning. She stopped and stood still. She bobbed her head up and down like someone watching a tennis match in reverse. Her ears twitched back and forth, and her eyes never blinked. She cooed and squeaked. I think she wanted me to know that something very strange had occurred.
She looked at me as if to say, “Is this happening everywhere?” then darted to the next window to find out. She popped open the blinds with her paw, and once again her head followed the movement of the falling flakes.
Of course, she couldn’t stop with only two windows. Was our house surrounded by this white stuff? Chattering loudly, she ran from one room to the next, opening the blinds and making her inspection.
I followed her on this epic journey. “What do you see, girl? What’s that white stuff falling from the sky?”
She’d meow and chirp to let me know that something of great importance was happening outside of each window.
When was the last time I had gotten so excited about snow? I wondered. During my first years in Memphis, I never let the occasional snowfall pass without pulling on my boots, grabbing my camera, and heading out to take pictures. Memphis doesn’t get a lot of snow, but it gets more than south Louisiana, so I was dutifully impressed with the white stuff.
What had changed? When did I start taking the small things for granted and ignoring the many miracles around me? Sure, I was a little older now, but the universe hadn’t lost its splendor. Red sunsets that seemingly set the sky on fire were just as beautiful today. The ocean would still smell as clean, and the roaring waves were just as deafening and majestic.
Humans can learn a lot from animals. Animals do not take nature for granted. They appreciate the beauty, stability, and rapture our world provides. I learned a lot that day. A rowdy cat, adopted from a shelter, and a thick snowfall proved to be good teachers.
Today, I enjoy looking up at a starlit sky or crunching through autumn leaves. And the next time Memphis is blessed with snow, I’ll be right in the middle of it, bundled up, shivering, and taking pictures. And I’ll be sure to bring in a snowball for Libby Lou to chase around the hardwood floor.
~Sharon Rene Dick
