Playing Favorites

We're all guilty of it.  As much as we try to avoid it, try to take the high road, try to treat everyone the same, we all do it:

We all play favorites.

My parents did it.  I did it as a teacher.  And I did it in my own home.

We adopted both of our cats at the same time; they came from the same litter, and visitors still have a hard time telling them apart.  But even from the start, one of the cats was eerily similar to me, and the other was strangely like the Sous Chef - we may as well call that one the Sous Chat, they're so much the same.

I totally favor(ed) the one that's like me.

It's easy to blame human nature; it simply takes up too much of our cerebral resources to put as much effort in to one person as it does another.  It's much less taxing to just spend a lot of time with one and hope for the best with the rest, right?

That is, until The Rest starts beating up on your favorite, and destroying your furniture, and having an all-around cruddy attitude.  Which is exactly what happened.

The Sous Chat

Sous Chef's initial reaction was to come down hard on the Sous Chat.  Chasing her around, showing her who's boss, etc.  I, ever the investigator, decided to do a little experiment.  In my years of teaching, one observation stood out more than any other:

Love conquers all.

No matter the issue, the timing, the person, love was always the answer.  Extra attention, extra positivity, extra affection cured any bad behavior.

I put it to the test on the feline.

Within a couple days, she had a complete turnaround.  She no longer claws the furniture, unless it's first thing in the morning and I deign to put on GMA before feeding her.  She talks to us more.  She gets all chirpy and happy when we come near her.  She cuddles more.  She lets us sleep in later on the weekends.

See?  LOVE.

If only we could treat ourselves the same way; if only we could recognize heartache and cure it with a little extra TLC.  If only we could be gentle and patient and kind and loving with ourselves.

If only we could be our own favorites.

How much more content would we be?

(Tr)eat well.