The Story Behind Time for a Break

August 12, 2020

On September 10, 2003, I got a pet mouse. I named her Whiskers, or Whisk for short. She was a funny little mouse, with sleek black fur, and smarter than I gave her credit for. I was told she was two months old when I got her, so I’ve always celebrated her birthday on July 10th.

Soon after I got her, my friend spent the night. We slept downstairs, and I asked if I could bring Whisk’s cage down. My parents okayed it, so that’s what we did. While we were lying awake, we heard Whisk running in her wheel. Then we heard her stop. Then she started again.

I thought that was odd, so I got up and looked in her cage. Sure enough, she was running, full speed ahead, then coming to a stop and swaying back and forth in the wheel. It was the funniest thing.

That’s my favorite memory of her, one I’ve always held dear. As her birthday arrived this year, I wrote Time for a Break thinking of that memory. It’s a good lesson to learn, even if I don’t always remember. There are many times I’ve worked through lunch, or lost track of time in my determination to get something done.

All these years later, she was still smarter than I gave her credit for. She knew when it was time to take a break.

#StoryBehind