{"id":10209,"date":"2015-04-08T19:39:14","date_gmt":"2015-04-08T23:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/?p=10209"},"modified":"2015-04-08T19:39:14","modified_gmt":"2015-04-08T23:39:14","slug":"slow-steady-and-all-that-jazz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/2015\/04\/slow-steady-and-all-that-jazz.html","title":{"rendered":"slow, steady, and all that jazz…"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
the author’s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hector (our ‘new’ cat) came\u00a0downstairs! And it’s only taken a scant 6 months!<\/p>\n

Seriously — I was wondering if we would always have an ‘upstairs’ cat. He has shown very little interest in exploring downstairs. At least, not while we’re awake.<\/p>\n

Since he’s more than 1\/2 as large as either of our French bulldogs, it’s not that he can’t hold his own. But one of Hector’s myriad appeals is that he’s a lover — a beta cat, not an alpha. He likes to roll over on his back and have you pet his belly. Fear isn’t a word in his vocabulary. But inertia, and easy-going? Both of those certainly are.<\/p>\n

All my (numerous) cat-loving friends assured me, months ago, that Hector\u00a0would<\/em> come downstairs and interact. Eventually. But frankly, I gave up months ago, resigned to only being able to visit w\/ Hector upstairs, on his terms.<\/p>\n

Until today, when he came downstairs, and one of the dogs chased him onto the bar counter. Where he sat for almost 1\/2 an hour, surveying the territory. With, I might add, great aplomb.<\/p>\n

I’m not patient. Anyone who has the slightest acquaintance w\/ me will agree — it’s not one of my virtues. So\u00a0Hector is — as most things that occur in my life are — a metaphor. A reminder to let\u00a0things unfold in their goodness of their own time. My clock\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0necessarily keep the time of others. There is a good reason different cultures carry names for their diverse ways of seeing time and schedules.<\/p>\n

Still, I’m hoping that today’s appearance\u00a0is the beginning of a cat who does<\/em> venture downstairs — it would be nice to have the big lug sit in my lap while I’m reading, and not just walk on me when I’m trying to sleep. I’m ready. It’s time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hector (our ‘new’ cat) came\u00a0downstairs! And it’s only taken a scant 6 months! Seriously — I was wondering if we would always have an ‘upstairs’ cat. He has shown very little interest in exploring downstairs. At least, not while we’re awake. Since he’s more than 1\/2 as large as either of our French bulldogs, it’s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[459,594],"tags":[11,1181,1187,262,1290,470,1314],"class_list":["post-10209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cats","category-time","tag-beginners-heart","tag-britton-gildersleeve","tag-buddhism","tag-buddhist-blogs","tag-cats","tag-patience","tag-time"],"yoast_head":"\nslow, steady, and all that jazz... - Beginner's Heart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hector (our 'new' cat) came\u00a0downstairs! 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