What Filled Me with Joy When My Nieces Were Little
I have to say part of why I recovered from cancer treatment so quickly, is the immense joy I felt being with my nieces.
I overcame adversity through pure love. Who needs resilience when you have the divine love of children. The pure at heart.
Besides the hugs and cuddles, I really loved when we engaged in pretend play. And so did my little angels.
And since my nieces appreciate my stories and I live for their approval, I thought I’d write about our special time together.
The abandoned kittens
My angelic nieces loved when I set the scene for a story they could engage in. They adored being kittens.
Poor little orphaned kittens abandoned at my front door in a box. Shivering in the cold winter air. I would place a blanket over them. Their grandma’s throw.
They would mew so pitifully, it would break your heart. And they had a way they would look up at you with those big eyes, their paws under their chins. I truly felt transported into their cat world.
They would mew and mew till I discovered what was at my feet. Then I would exclaim. Oh no poor little kittens. You must be so cold and hungry. I’ll bring you near the fireplace to warm you up.
They would then be rescued and fed dishes of imaginary milk (this wouldn’t be done in real life as cats don’t drink regular milk, but for 4 year olds it will suffice). Oh how they lapped up the imaginary milk.
The cat hotel
This hotel was only for cats. But the tots made an exception. Aunty Shanti could be a human accompanying and caring for my cat. Niece 2 implored, I want you to be my owner. Oh the innocence of babies.
But definitely little one called all the shots instructing me what came next in the story. Niece 1 liked being the patisserie chef and Niece 2 liked being the cat. Most often Niece 1 gave in to Niece 2. Niece 1 is actually the true cat lover and longs for the day she’s an adult with a cat for a pet.
The cat in our story was no ordinary cat, but a bonafide star. It also happened to be the cat’s birthday.
The cat’s name was Cattie/ Catty/ Katy. I’m not sure how you spell it, but it was Niece 1 who came up with the name. Or was it Niece 2. My memory is fading, so I better get all these stories down pronto. Anyhoo they didn’t know how to spell yet at age 4.
The hotel’s Patisserie chef rang the room doorbell and I ran to answer it. She whispered that the cake was ready. Then she burst in and we surprised Cattie with a rendition of happy birthday. She blew out the candles with a smile on her face.
Just two scenarios, but you can imagine my bliss.
Thank you dear beloved nieces for filling my life with more joy than I could ever fathom.
Dear Medium buddies. Keen to hear if you have any niece or nephew stories to share. Or just stories of the children in your life? Whether you birthed them or not.
I adore children so I’d love to hear.