The falling from the staircase thing and landing on your feet. No matter what.

"True vision is never an arrangement or rearrangement of solutions that have worked in previous circumstances, but springs from the immediacy of today."

~Timothy Butler

You'd think that the old woman would take it easy; would long to eat, sleep and bask in the sun; would avoid taking any unnecessary risks.

You'd think she would, being almost 21 years old, arthritic and no longer able to lick herself clean.

When we block off the top of the second floor stairwell so Beatrice won't tumble down the stairs, we block direct access to the stairs to Chelsea, our pretty old cat.

For the past few months she's been walking around the gate along the edge of the stairway to get to the stairs. That's a pretty big risk for such an old cat.

But it's what she has to do if she wants to get downstairs to her food, water and cat box; to hang out with the family and get pets and love.

Dozens of times she's done this -- a highly repeatable process without err.

Until the other day. She fell. From over 12 feet in the air.

And landed on her feet.

We freaked but she's fine. The historic cliché of cats always landing on their feet comes to mind here, but for goodness sake she's as old as the hills and twice as dusty (with dander).

She should've snapped in half, but she didn't. And she'll keep on walking that stairway like a tightrope to get to where she's going.

A lesson for me as I stand on the precipice of change.

But life isn't a repeatable process without err. If I fall fail their are consequences that will affect me and my family for who knows how long.

However, if when I succeed and land on my feet...

I've read a lot of late about the inspiration and motivation of doing your own thing; the one thing; the right thing; the passionate thing that moves you; the game-changing thing that grooves you.

The falling from the staircase thing and landing on your feet. No matter what.

I can do this thing. I can. Mama believes and is the loving safety line no matter what.

Reading these two posts this morning also helped me inch along the edge:

- The “H” word for leaders – History
- Meaningful Work: A Love Letter

"Take a deep breath, count to ten, and tackle each task one step at a time."

~Linda Shalaway