Sheila Day 22
I love the idea that from one tiny little seed of an idea, something really cool can grow. Weirdly enough though, it takes more than just a seed for a seed to grow. There has to be water, light, soil for it to take root in, and maybe then, and only then are the conditions just right for the little seed to crack out of its shell and take root.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a little boy named Sam who came to visit Santa Clause at the college. Sam was so excited because he "thought" that the bag Santa had given him contained the train that he had asked him for. He was giddy when he came home to his grandma eager to share his gift only to discover it was a bag of peanuts, some treats, and a candy cane. I love that kiddos truly believe that anything can happen . . . even that the tiniest bag can produce a toy train.
The story really touched me on a lot of levels, but I am just one person, and although one person can make a difference on some level, it really is a ton easier if you can "get a little help from some friends." That being said, most of us on campus knew about Sam. We did some research and discovered that Sam had a brother named Logan. Both boys are living with grandma, and I can only imagine that dealing with two little autistic boys would be exceedingly hard. So we began to plant some seeds, and the soil was just right, and the light came in, and the seed cracked and began to be filled with life. And from that seed, their story grew and touched not only my heart, but another and another and another.
Sam loves trains and Logan loves dinosaurs. I ordered a Thomas the Train that whistles and makes all kinds of noise and one of the fellows I work with found the coolest dinosaur for Logan. I ran and got some candy treats to put with the packages and then we got a gift for grandma. However, this is where it gets totally FUN and I turn into a total PUDDLE!
Our WETCC Santa was recruited and he took the long trek with me today to Sam's home to surprise he and Logan when they got home from school. Complete with our bag of gifts, we made the trek to the door and Sam came running giddy with JOY! It was priceless to hear his squeals of delight as the jolly man delivered his "special" gift. Sam plopped on Santa's lap while his brother shyly hid unsure if he should come out to claim the gift chosen especially for him. As Sam started to open his gift, Logan quietly snuck into the room and began to look at what treasure was in his own gift. Both boys giggled with pure excitement, and their grandma watched as her little boys received the Christmas Spirit from a bunch of strangers who were touched by her story and her little ones.
I have spent so much of this holiday season touched by little kiddos of all shapes and sizes in a whole bunch of settings. I wonder if on some level I am on heightened alert as I seem to be noticing their little smiles, the joy they feel, their giggles and laughter, their belief in that which is magical, their messy little fingers and toothless grins, and their anticipation for that which they don't totally understand. Maybe it is their total blind faith in humanity as I believe on some level I have lost that. I trusted and believed once too, and then life got in the way, and whereas my faith in God grew, my faith in humanity sank to an all time low where it was left utterly battered and very broken. I questioned on a lot of levels if I would ever be able to trust anyone again? However, to trust we have to have to believe. Perhaps through those chubby little faces complete with toothless grins, I might actually find the blind faith to believe again . . . sigh . . . tears . . .
Sarah Day 22
I read a story today about a man with terminal cancer. The title reads, "Man Dying from Cancer Finds Comfort in Visits to Cat Shelter."
There's a video with the article where the man talks about the cancer
and shows where his tumor is located. He talks about the cats and how
they make him feel better. If you have a moment, please take a minute to
check out the article and watch the short video. It amazes me to see
this man spending his dying days visiting the cats at a shelter, but
then again, that's probably where I would be spending my final days too.
Of course this story got me thinking about how this is really what Christmas is all about!
I
have a friend who is the VP for an animal rescue in Minneapolis. She's a
complete animal lover and is so good at what she does. For quite a
while, she only fostered dogs. Pittbulls are her weakness . . . she
definitely has a soft spot for them! But she recently started fostering
cats as wall. The last time her and I spoke, I believe she said that she
has nine kitties in her house that she and her husband are fostering.
She said it's a mama and her babies. Can you imagine that many kittens
running around your house? Kittens are hard work. Each one needs a lot
of time and a lot of love. It takes a special kind of person to be able
to foster both cats and dogs at the same time . . . the world needs more
people like her!
I started fostering my first kitty
about four months ago now. The shelter figured he was probably four
months old when they took him in from the pound. Cats Cradle put on
their Facebook page that this kitty was extremely scared and needed a
special kind of home. When I called CC to ask about him, they decided my
home would be a good match, and they were right. I took Peanut to open
houses, and posted pictures on Facebook with comments about his
personality, but he still didn't have any bites on a possible forever
home. So after 12 weeks, I took him to his final open house and I told
Jesse, "if he doesn't get adopted today, we're keeping him." Well, he
didn't get adopted, and I was relieved because I loved him! Yup, I
"foster failed" as they like to call it. Sometimes I hate that I foster
failed. I was hoping to have success with my first, and be able to keep
fostering. I'm hopeful that Jesse and I will foster another kitty when
the time is right, but I need to make sure I'm mentally and emotionally
prepared. Giving away a kitty that has become so attached to you can be
extremely hard to do.
 | |
| Peanut |
Fostering is critical for our
animal shelters. They need to be able to continue to take in more
homeless animals and they wouldn't be able to do that without fosters
and adoptions. It really is amazing to see how many people do foster and
how much they love doing it. It's very rewarding! I love to hear how
well the animals are adapting to their new environment, and to see how
their personalities are developing. Watching Peanut come out of his
shell was such a gratifying feeling. It took weeks for him to finally
wander out of his room (our spare room) but that was okay . . . he
needed some time to adjust, and we had plenty of time to give him.
Peanut needed to see what it was like to not be living on the streets
with no mama and no one to love on him. Love was a new feeling for him
and he was scared. Luckily, I had lots of extra hugs and kisses to give, and eventually . . . Peanut and I fell in love. =)
This Christmas, I ask that you help out your local animal shelter if you are able to. Maybe that means donating
your time, or your money. Maybe it means donating some toys, blankets,
pet beds, etc. Or maybe it means opening up your heart and adopting a
pet, or opening up your home to foster a pet. Our rescues need all of
these things every single day. Animal shelters are non-profit
organizations . . . they rely on commitment and dedication from their
volunteers to keep the shelters running and to keep finding our furry
friends a home. Please, please, PLEASE help out your local shelter in
any way that you can. The animals are begging you to help them find a
home for the holidays!
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