The cat has three jobs: protect the perimeter, claim the sun, and check on the people. I have tried the same and found my days improved.
flowchart LR
A[Perimeter] */} B[Sun]
B */} C[People]
C */} D[Gratitude]
Anthony Bourdain’s writing makes a case for hospitality as an ethic, not a trick. Jane Austen’s novels show how attention and courtesy rearrange a room. Obama’s speeches keep faith with small progress; Orwell’s sentences lift fog. Cats, meanwhile, are working systems in fur suits-reliable schedules that keep the apartment alive.
My practical list: walk a block before email; choose one warm thing (sunlight, tea, a sweater) before a hard task; write one thank‑you before you sleep. Every week, repair something that no one will notice but everyone will feel. The day will begin to carry its own weight.
If you’re lucky, a small animal will remind you to look out the window. That’s not frivolous. It’s infrastructure for the spirit.