Kind Hearted Part 2

We picked up our first foster cat yesterday and it felt like Christmas for I. and I. She was so excited that she was talking even faster than she normally does and I had to tell her to take a breath. Our choice was one 2 year old female or three 10 month olds. The lady kept saying how much fun the younger ones would be but in my gut, I felt like the older one would be better at least for our first time out. Especially considering that V. is out of town and would have to be told over the phone of our new visitor.

I'm glad I listened to my gut because this cat is perfect. I was warned that she may hide for 2 days or 2 weeks, to be prepared. I went in the bedroom where she is after I put I. to bed and just sat on the ground speaking quietly. Within 2 minutes, she was crawling out from under the bed, snuggling, rubbing and purring. She's a real sweetheart.




What I love is that I can hear through the wall of I. playing with her and hearing her speaking so sweetly does my heart good. She understands that we are giving her love and a vacation from that little box she's been in at PetSmart and that we're going to have to take her back at some point. I'm really glad I took the leap and decided to do this.

Today I'm trying to keep us busy and distracted from the fact that V. didn't make it home this weekend. It's supposed to be a cloudy day which sounds perfect for spending the afternoon decorating for Christmas. I'm hoping to get our tree next Sunday when V. is here. I love the smell of a Christmas tree though I don't particularly like how small it makes our living area feel. Basically, there's one place to put the tree and that's on the entry tile area so you have to kind of shimmy around it to go to the front door and shimmy around the other side when you need to use the bathroom. Every year V. says we should get a smaller one but forget it. When it comes to my Christmas trees, I say go big or go home! That tree with the angel on top has about a 2 inch clearance every year, I swear. It's become almost like a contest for me to see how close to the ceiling I can get and I suspect this year will be no different.

How Are You Going To Leave Your Mark?

Lots of deep thinking today it seems. Over at TheMamaMaryShow, she asked the question that is the title of this post and it got me to thinking. It is a very important question for me. I admit, it wasn't even on my radar before I had I. but it is now, big time.

I remember when I. was a baby and nursing three times a night, 45 minutes at a time, I would sit rocking in the glider and thinking of all the things I hoped for my daughter. The thing I wished for most was that she would be happy and content in her life. Not successful, not a genius, just happy and content. I think that's the secret to a long, happy life but I could be wrong.

As she got older and got her nourishment from something other than me, I started thinking of this question in terms of just me. I think our 20's is about us or something close to us and then in our 30's we start thinking of things around and outside of ourselves. I still didn't have the complete answer until Mark died and it came to me. I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. It's not specific which is probably a good thing because it gives me latitude to define what "a difference" means.

I definitely know that a major part of that is raising I. to stick up for herself while being cognizant of others' feelings. To appreciate friends and life because they are a gift of today, not to be taken for granted as always being there. To know that she is loved and valuable because of who she is and how she has been created.

The other part is solely about me, apart from I. and V. The part that would still exist, God forbid, if they weren't with me. How I would leave my mark. For human kind, I would like to serve some role in hospice, volunteer or in a nurse capacity. In the animal world, I'd love to volunteer at the humane society/rescue group or serve as a foster parent. This isn't new territory for me - when I was single, I volunteered in the ICU at Scripps and also at a humane society as an exerciser and foster parent and it was very fulfilling.

Now I'm involved in marketing housing for the indigent poor worldwide so I guess this is another way of leaving my mark. This is a new undertaking so I can't comment on it that much. However, that brings the total to making my mark to: my daughter, hospice, humane society/rescue groups, and poverty stricken. At least it's a good start.