There’s a cat at the window!

by Jonathon Acton - jonathan.acton@homeinstead.ie

Well now we know what lies ahead in terms of the gradual and safe reopening of the country. We know when we can get a haircut, buy some non essential items, attend a wedding, if we are lucky enough to make the cut, and have a fair idea of when we might be able to stay in a hotel again.

But, and this is a major BUT! It’s all dependent on how the figures goes in terms of hospitalisations as we see an increasing level of freedom gradually restored.

So proceed with caution and responsibility in terms of adhering to the latest public health advice.

Considering we are about to step forward towards a time of hope and some type of normality, I was pleasantly reminded how resilient children are during times of stress and change.

Bear with me while I try to describe to you the amazing ‘cat on the window moment’ I witnessed recently, which gave me an immense sense of encouragement and hope…

Most mornings I have the pleasure of bringing my son George to crèche, a fantastic place with dedicated caring people in Belvedere Hills.

The journey to get there takes about 15mins (depending on who is driving), which is just enough time to squeeze in about four Cranberries tracks, at George’s request.

Those precious moments singing in the car, enjoying the craic with George and Dolores, are enough to set anyone up for the day.

But only last Thursday, as I was walking away from the door of the crèche after saying goodbye, I heard a group of kids screaming from inside his room.

I turned around in slow-motion and fear and did not expect the sight I was about to experience.

The cutest little cat had hopped up on the windowsill, which was eye height to all the kids inside. This cat had an unusual colouring, ginger and white, similar to one of my besties, Alan Lambden now living in Toronto.

Anyway, the children gathered towards the window, the screams getting louder and the kids at the back jumping up and down to get a glimpse of this creature.

There were cries of “quick, there’s a cat on the window, look, look!”.

The mini huddle glided slowly in sync with the cat on the other side of the glass. The window was steaming up on the inside from the adrenaline and excitement and suddenly, the end of sill came and the cat ran away, as did all the frenzied children to their next distraction.

Excuse me the pun, but I paused for a moment and thought that was amazing to witness.

I could feel the normality coming back into the life of my son and his friends in the wonderful surroundings of Belvedere Hills.

Resilience and hope have been key to helping us all through the last 14 months and it is those two traits that will get us through the next 14 months.

With a dramatic ramping up of vaccinations, we should all be looking forward to a brighter future.

When safe to do so and adhering to public health guidelines, maybe we could all think of elderly people in our lives and communities and reach out just a little more to make sure they are included and feel supported and safe.

If there is someone you feel may benefit from reliable trustworthy care in the home, please call us on 04493 85260 or visit homeinstead.ie.