Carolyn Holm

Dear Mom,
Why do humans worry about Friday the 13^th?
Love, Mia

Dear Mia,
Humans are a very superstitious species. Some folks even think black cats are bad luck.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That makes no sense. If a cat wants to be bad luck, it has nothing to do with her color.
Love, Mia

Dear Mia,
You are absolutely right. Go figure. But cats certainly have a hold on human imagination. You are very much part of our literary tradition.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
We are very important! And very literary. Cats show up in all kinds of expressions. Like “playing cat and mouse.” And “look what the cat dragged in.” And we share one with dogs: “it’s raining cats and dogs.”
Love, Mia

Dear Mia,
Then there is “letting the cat out of the bag.”
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Out of the bag?????!!!!!!! What was she doing in a bag?
Love, Mia

Dear Mia,
Maybe it was an emergency. You know, if we had to suddenly get out of here really fast, like in a fire, my plan is to toss the two of you into a pillow case.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You would do that?????? That’s a shocking idea.
Love, Mia

Dear Mia,
No it’s not. Because in a disaster it would take too long to get the carriers out. It would save you. But anyway, that’s not the only strange cat phrase out there. Here’s one: “Cat got your tongue?”
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s disgusting. I have no intention of taking anyone’s slimy old human tongue.
Love, Mia

Dear Mia,
Who knows where that phrase came from. And there are more. For pure horror, there is “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” And then there is “a dead cat bounce.” That’s a financial term, for when numbers go up after a big drop. The idea is that even a dead cat will bounce if dropped from a big height. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
A DEAD CAT BOUNCE??????? What is wrong with your species?
Love, Mia

Dear Mia,
I have nothing to say. I can’t defend us.
Love, Carolyn

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