Editing Openai/6904e1b3-b1d4-8007-b938-da625cb3f2bb (section)

==== You don’t need to force playfulness. ====
Start with allowing the discomfort of being invited into it. That’s the gate.

Here’s a small ritual:
# When your cats initiate play, notice what arises. - Is it irritation? Guilt? Numbness? Embarrassment? - Don’t push it away. Hold it like the child you left behind.
# Gently mirror a small gesture. - One flick of the toy. One toss. - Not for fun, but for integration.
# Afterward, close your eyes. Ask: >

You’re not playing for the cats.
You’re playing for the part of you that was left starving for that emotion.

And the cats are the delivery system.