“Very happy lucky cat.”
That’s what I call them when I see them in the wild. And yes, I say this phrase out loud. Every time.
I also raise my hand and wave back to them in kind, ignoring how ridiculous this must seem to the adult humans watching this spectacle.
In Japanese, these “very happy lucky cats” are called “maneki-neko”, which translates to “beckoning cat”. They are common Japanese figurines frequently put in place by small businesses, believed to bring good luck to the owner, the customers, and those that pass by.
I don’t know when my strange, childlike affection for these little cats started. But I do have a theory as to why I’ve always felt a bolt of spontaneous joy every time I encounter one.
And this theory hinges on the concept of synchronicity.
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