Every morning when I wake up my cat Amos is waiting for me on the other side of the bedroom door. He follows me around the apartment, from the bathroom to the hallway to the kitchen. He jumps up on the counter while I make coffee then lays next to my computer while I check my email.
He’s my favorite.
Amos is an enigma. He’s always just out of reach. His brother will sit on your lap while you watch a movie, but Amos? He’s at the other end of the couch, impossible to pet but part of the action all the same.
He likes water. Most mornings he’ll jump in the bathtub and roll around on the wet surface. If he’s feeling particularly feisty he’ll be really noisy, too. He’ll meow from around the corner and I’ll respond. Then he’ll come trotting into the other room for approval.
Amos is probably a little too big for a cat. He just loves to eat. If we aren’t careful he’ll finish his portion and start to eat his brother’s helping, too.
He’s figured out how to open the drawer underneath my side of the bed. I’ll come home from a long trip and the drawer will be partially cracked. If you reach your arm under the bed you might feel a tail or a paw, but that’s it.
Like I said, he’s always out of reach.
Today I flew to NYC for a show while Stephie took Amos to the vet. He was overdue for a teeth cleaning. I came out of my show to learn that he had not been able to recover fully from the anesthesia. He wasn’t really moving and wouldn’t eat. Stephanie was distraught and not sure what to do.
Minutes before I had gotten a roomful of strangers to laugh and experience some wonder. I had chipped away at their New York cynicism until the dam broke and they witnessed something amazing. But the second I was offstage, I wasn’t even thinking about that. I just wanted to be home.
It sounds silly but my family is my wife and my two cats. These little boys have been with us since the beginning and I love them with all of my heart.
They were a gift to Stephanie while we were engaged. Her grandma had passed away and I was working a ton. Unable to be around as much as I wanted, I decided she deserved a furry companion to keep her happy while I was gone.
But when Stephie saw these brothers climbing their cage and longing for love she looked at me and I could tell she had made up her mind. It didn’t take a mind reader to know we were the proud new owners of not one but two cute kitties.
When we first got them my allergies were so awful that we were convinced we would have to return them to the shelter. But several weeks passed and my allergies disappeared. The cats could stay.
When I had shoulder surgery I would lay on the couch unable to move or work. Amos stayed nearby, watching over me to make sure everything was okay.
These two have travelled across the country from Wichita to Chicago to Florida and back to Chicago. They’ve been through a lot because of our unorthodox lifestyle. Even so, they’ve remained sweet and kind and always put a smile on my face.
It’s funny, because that’s exactly what I do for a living, too. I get to travel the country making people happy. And I absolutely love what I do.
I love making people smile. I love sharing joy and wonder. I love creating a mystery that can cause an entire room of adults to gasp in amazement.
But I love my family more.
I love my simple life in Chicago with my wife and my two best friends. I love trying to send e-mails while Amos walks across my keyboard. I love locking him out of the bedroom at night knowing he’ll be waiting to greet me in the morning.
Knowing he’s back in Chicago and not himself brings tears to my eyes. It makes me sad to know that my little buddy isn’t his usual energetic self.
After my show, I walked the streets of Lower Manhattan surrounded by New Yorkers in all directions. But I was alone. I felt helpless. I could offer words of compassion from afar but there wasn’t anything else I could do.
He’s always just out of reach.
