I Am A Cougra

When Tori was young, maybe in Kindergarten, she came home one day and told me that she had had a terrible day. And for some reason, she decided to identify herself as an animal in her misery. All melodramatically, she announced, "I... am a POSSUM." And I was amused. So I asked her, "I don't like possums.Could you maybe, just possibly, be a rat instead?" She agreed she could make that small step. "I am a rat!" And I asked her about another animal. Each time, we went a little higher on her/my estimation of the animal, until she was bouncing on the bed announcing what kind of animal she was. "I am a Horse!" "I am an Eagle!" And finally, I asked if she could be a cougar. Striking a dramatic pose, she declared "I... am a COUGRA!"