On a recent Sunday morning, I sent my father a video of our cat Joey, or Joy—I really am not sure anymore. There was a long debate about whether we decided on Joey (yes, the one from Friends) or Joy almost ten years ago. 

While he has the characteristics of both a comedian and a source of happiness (and near-mental breakdown experiences), most of all, he simply has a character—like every other cat.

For the sake of simplicity, I’ll call him Joey as most of my Facebook posts from his first day as a rescue and his passport confirm I won the choice of the name. Hooray!

The video I sent to my dad was one of the many where Joey plays with a wine cork. 

It’s always the same order of events in his little battle against that villainous piece of cork. 

With the bravery of Don Quixote fighting the windmill, Joey fully invests himself in the heroic fight. He hunts it, holds it in his claws like a lion keeping his prey, and then throws it in the air and jumps after it. If he feels there’s a need to intimidate his enemy, he hisses. Then the cork, as static and as lifeless it can be, provokes him to another round of exhausting battle. 

It’s a game of his own that can last for fifteen minutes or until he’s out of breath. 

My father’s response to the video was filled with sweet humor, wisdom and a cry for his youth: “Lightheartedness and endless imagination. Age means nothing to him.” 

It was one of the funniest and truest things I’ve read about a cat. 

I’ve spent over three decades playing with them, taking care of their needs, and observing every little detail about their unique existence, yet I never considered how nonchalantly they approach aging. 

Joey is almost ten. We have two other rescue cats: Gigi and Sunny, aged six. Not one of these three rascals has an idea how long they have been on planet Earth and how much time is left. It’s usually my partner and I who get stuck in cringe spirals of what-ifs, crying over their lifespan, while Gigi meows dramatically for her third meal in four hours.

It’s as if cats have this innate God-given intelligence to understand how to live. They just know. More than that, they know how to carpe diem like true pros. They don’t need to-do lists, mental health podcasts, a custom-made water bottle and breathing exercises to begin the day.

But first, sunshine!

Of all the cats I’ve had—indoor and outdoor, long-term and fosters—Joey has taught me the best lesson: Always catch the first rays of sunshine.

Every morning, after his first meal, he starts to chatter as if a once-in-a-lifetime miracle is about to happen and leads me to the balcony door.

I open it, and he, like a natural-born Italian, cheerfully jumps into his favorite chair and starts rolling on his back.

The day has officially begun.

Without listening to the Huberman Lab podcast episode on viewing morning sunlight, he knows what his body needs. So, instead of grabbing my phone and imitating the world, I started imitating him.

I make my favorite drink of the day—whether it’s matcha, coffee, or cocoa—put on sunscreen, and stay on the balcony as long as my schedule allows me to.

It has become one of my morning rituals, which I haven’t skipped in over nine months. It’s my time with God, when I can enjoy the quiet, have an early breakfast, listen to the birds, watch the stillness or the dance of the trees, and prepare for the day before the world’s frenzy starts its noise.

While I’ve learned many other lessons from Joey, each of my cats has taught me valuable lessons, but in their own unique way. I’d like to share a bit of wisdom from Gigi and Sunny as well.

These two, as similar and as different as they can be—like every sister duo—may not be the best at sharing, but they’ve definitely understood life’s main but often overlooked components: delight, persistence, and freedom.

Stay simple, persistently

If anyone knows how to enjoy food and find the most comfortable spot to sleep, it’s Gigi.

I would’ve never thought that such a soft, almost velvet-like creature could teach me so much about the beauty of living simply. Gigi doesn’t like to complicate her life. She is satisfied as long as her dish is full, there’s at least one toy on the ground, and she has a soft surface to sleep on.

All of this, without wasting much energy. I wouldn’t say she’s lazy, as she’s put a lot of vocal training into convincing us to do something for her.

Gigi taught me to find beauty in everyday life. Like her, I too started taking naps without feeling like I’m wasting time. I cook nice meals for myself, and instead of adding more tasks to my to-do list, I let some days unravel on their own.

Live freely

I remember the first time I proudly showed Sunny to my dad. She was only three months old and, as most cats, had a confusingly disproportionate body build. It was mostly a small, stocky body with pointed ears, a long tail, and wide yellow eyes.

So, aware of her unique calico looks and quirky character, I picked her up and turned her around like a 3D object in front of the camera. My father, with his ever-active sarcasm and a hidden laugh in his voice, exclaimed: “Oh God, what kind of creature is that?!”

That creature is a special one. I knew it from the moment I took her in from the street. If cats had a moral compass, I’m sure she’d have more integrity than any person I’ve ever met.

Sunny taught me how to stay wild without losing an ounce of femininity. She taught me sisterhood, friendship, loyalty, trust, and peacemaking.

I’ve spent hours and hours observing her. She is a complex character, and unlike most cats, she has other priorities over food and sleep—that is, to live freely.

From the way she moves, runs, and hunts, to how she grooms herself, meows, and stares into your eyes when you raise your voice at her—everything points to one undeniable declaration: “You cannot take my freedom away.”

The more I share my life with cats, the more I understand that we too can have this innate intelligence that teaches us how to live. After all, it’s not that difficult.

God hasn’t spared us the chance to live a good life. He showed us the path, and it’s on us to find it and follow it. If we can’t find it, we can always ask for it.

As James 1:5 says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Song of the day: Everybody Wants to Be a Cat – Huddleston & Rinker