Creature Comforts

The immense importance of the creature comforts of warmth, food, light, softness, sound, kindness, and humor has been at the forefront of my mind this week.

Our cozy kitty, that time we had to shave him. 😆

My brilliant father has dementia, and my mother and brother and I moved him across the county this week to just a few minutes away from my house.

He is a man with a Ph.d. and a successful antiquarian bookshop of 40 years who used to work long hours, haul boxes of books, and sit in the cold car in the wee hours to be the first in line at a promising estate sale. He is still that guy, but his need for comfort is now pretty much solely on his mind.

My mother and I spent a lot of time adjusting lighting, pillows, fixing food, and playing classical music in order to help him feel comfortable through the very disconcerting experience of moving.

It reminded me that I often get wrapped up in ‘what needs to get done’ and ignore my animal body’s needs a little too long. Like the hanger I feel at about 3:30 when I forgot to stop and have lunch.

What would life be like if we didn’t ignore our mammalian instincts for delicious food, warm, cozy spaces, slowness, and quiet? What if we found ways to celebrate and lean in to these inherently human desires?

Are you prone to ignoring your creature comforts? How to do you let the soft animal of your body love what it loves?