Memories That Make You Smile

Sometimes, the simplest moments become the memories that make us smile.

To this day, I fondly remember walking into my son’s room where 13 cats were sharing one twin bed.

It was another ordinary day. I don’t even remember the day itself. What I do remember is walking into the room and stopping to look at them.

Thirteen cats on one twin bed. All snuggled together as if this were the most perfectly reasonable sleeping arrangement in the world. As sanctuary owners, to us, this was normal.

Each of these cats was unique in their own way. While some had called our sanctuary home for five years, others had only called it home for one. They all had their own personalities and unique quirks. Nevertheless, here they were, completely content with one another.

I paused and smiled. After all, what else is there to do when you enter a room and see 13 adorable cats sharing one bed together?

My son entered the room after me, probably wondering where I was or what was taking me so long. He paused and smiled too.

Both of us understood that we didn’t need to say anything. They were happy, and so were we.

On yet another day, I’d finished filling their food bowls and left the room for just long enough to come back and see 9 of the 13 of the cats eating together, right next to one another. While this may seem like an ordinary moment, it wasn’t. Most of the time, the cats took turns eating so they didn’t have to be directly beside one another.

While people may think this was another ordinary moment at the sanctuary, it was far from ordinary to me. Sure, nothing particularly dramatic occurred. There was no great feline milestone. Nobody did anything special. They simply sat there eating together as one big happy family.

These are the things that make memories meaningful to me. Sometimes, simple moments happen in the middle of another ordinary day.

For those who don’t live in a cat sanctuary, 13 cats peacefully sharing one twin bed probably sounds absurd. Here, it’s just an ordinary day.

Having 13 cats squeezed onto a twin mattress that was never meant for them isn’t even what I love most about these days. The fact that they were all comfortable enough to do it is what truly made me happy. Knowing that these cats trust each other enough to feel safe and enjoy being together is what truly made me smile.

There are still days when I remember Arman and Peanut. They’d have joined in the fun, adding just a touch of orange fur to what was mostly a sea of gray.

It’s wonderful to know that the life we’ve built is ordinary to the cats who are living it. These 13 cats don’t think a twin bed is too small. They also know that they can eat next to each other. They simply choose to give one another space.

For these cats, this is just another ordinary day. To us, this is something to smile about. Together, we all agree that this is home.