The 2 Cat Rule
Life Lessons, One Rule at a Time
Dedication
To my children—
This book is for you.
Every word, every lesson, every story.
It is my way of reminding you, in case you ever forget,
that my love for you is the defining experience of my life.
Introduction
In 2010, I turned 50 years old. Over the past year, I’ve learned two very important lessons:
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I will not live forever.
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Knees—and other major body parts—are only guaranteed for the first 50 years.
It’s sort of like my first car, a 1971 Buick Riviera. When it hit 100,000 miles, it didn’t instantly die, but it did start slowly falling apart. For domesticated males, the 100,000-mile mark might be 50 years. After that, we either become well-cared-for classics—or rust buckets.
I plan to be the former. But I also understand that replacement parts will be harder to find—and much more expensive—as the years go by.
Let me be clear at the outset: I fully intend to live forever.
That said, my intentions have often turned out very differently from reality.
At 30, I expected to be retired and traveling the world by 50. The reality? It’s different than I imagined—but actually better. In many ways, this book is my insurance policy against the fantasy of immortality, a way to preserve and pass on the lessons life gives me.
Who This Book Is For
This book is written for my children.
I have six of them—ages 8 to 23 at the time of this writing. Some entries will be directed to a particular child (named or unnamed), some to the boys, some to the girls, and others to all of them. These Rules are written for them first.
If others enjoy—or are offended by—what they read, that’s just an unintended consequence of my main mission: sharing my life’s lessons with my kids.
About the Rules
This book is a collection of “Rules” I’ve learned about life. I’ve named it The 2 Cat Rule after Rule #37—a personal favorite.
I don’t know how many Rules there will be. I’m numbering them from 1 to 1000, but I reserve the right to add sub-parts (e.g., Rule #42c) when I want to expand on a prior Rule—or just squeeze one in between #52 and #53.
I’m not presenting the Rules in numerical order because, frankly, I rarely think in order of priority. My thoughts come as random musings on life’s lessons as they’re revealed to me—or, more accurately, as I remember to write them down.
And yes, there will be curiosity about Rule #1. Let me manage expectations now: I don’t intend to reveal Rule #1 until after my death (should the immortality plan fail). I know what it is, and I’ve written it. Hopefully it will shine through the other Rules, but for now I’ll only say this: it is the guiding principle of my life—one that needs the full context of my journey to understand.
A Word of Warning
I am one of the worst spellers and editors in the world. I’ve been known to spell the same word two or three different ways in a single project. This one will be no different. You’ll get my point.
If my creative approach to English annoys you, I encourage you to submit your suggested edits—in triplicate—to Dad@2catrule.com.
I intend to ignore them. But if it brings you joy, feel free to send them anyway.
Final Thoughts
I have been truly blessed with children who make me proud every day. I could not be more grateful—not only for having such great kids, but also for having a loving partner in Bobbi to share them with. God has been very good to me.
Before I share the first Rule, I want you to understand one thing very clearly:
My love for each of you—individually and as a family—is my defining life experience.
It is the thing that makes me want to live forever.
I hope you laugh and learn from my thoughts and Rules. But most of all, I want you to understand just how much you are loved.
And with that in mind…
Love, Dad