Dear Pip,

Thank you for always being there. Without you, this blog would have half as many posts. Without you, my newest manuscript would remain in its infancy. Without you, my writing career would be huffing and puffing behind.

For you’re my morning companion. By the time the alarm rings at 5:10 a.m.—the cue to begin my treasured before-work hour of writing—you’re there, meowling and kneeding and expressing impatience for my night to come to an end.

And end it does. With your meowling and kneeding and impatience, the snooze button is useless. I’m awake, up-and-at-’em, yes ma’am.

On Saturdays and Sundays—non-work days—I anticipate the decadence of sleeping in, with plenty of daylight hours left to write. But no, there you are—at maybe a glorious 5:20—pressing your daily demands. Your internal clock is remarkable. (Your respect of weekends, not so much.)

So from my sleep-deprived but creatively fulfilled heart: thank you. You’re my hard-to-ignore fluff-ball of get-up-and-go.

Do you have pets? How do they help or hinder your writing?

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