As narrator Daniel Stern said in an episode of "The Wonder Years," "Some gifts are complicated." My cat, Collette, sometimes tests my patience by biting my feet and trying to eat my food. Nevertheless, I'm thankful for her because there's more to her than that. She curls up with me on the sofa for hours and kneads her paws on me thoroughly yet endearingly until she thinks I'm just right. She also looks to me for comfort during thunderstorms. In addition, there's her background to consider. I don't know what her first two years of life before I adopted her were like. She might have had a hard life as a stray cat. She might also have had kittens. When I think of her as struggling to survive, especially as a mother cat, I'm more accepting of my aching toes. So, in that spirit, I wish Collette a happy Thanksgiving and hope that she's thankful for her time with me thus far.
