Some days, some very dark days, I wonder what the point to all this is. I wonder why anyone bothers to do anything but get up and go to work and come home and make dinner and raise their children. Much less open the paper and go to meetings and try like heck to make a difference in the world.
Some even darker days, I wonder if anyone is.
And then, one of those mornings, I reached into my closet and pulled out a t-shirt at random to wear – and chose the one that says, “Small Angels Rescue,” with a picture of a heart and a hamster.
I was reminded of the love and energy and effort that this group of (mostly) women put into their cause. They take these smallest of animals (mice, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and chinchillas) into their own homes. They feed them, comfort them, train them, and help them become well-behaved family pets. They post their pictures on Petfinder with descriptions of these happy little souls. They have created adoption forms, and they interview each applicant carefully, to be sure that the family is really ready to care for one of their babies. They give up their Sunday afternoons to host adoption events and talk to people who might want to take one of their little ones home. In short, they do everything that most dog and cat rescues do, wearing themselves to the bone for these animals … for these littlest of animals, the ones that many people do not even value, these pocket pets who can fit in one hand but may rather scurry away than be held, until they know their person well. The ones whose adoption fee is $5. The cost of a latte. And the ones whose whole world can be outfitted for $20.
These people, if you ask me, are saints. They give of their time, energy, and resources, to save these tiny little souls, and they ask nothing in return.
They do all this because they “believe that every animal deserves a loving home.”
That’s it.
That’s why people strive and work and exhaust themselves, day after day. Because everyone deserves a loving home. I think that’s what most of our activism boils down to, actually. Whether it’s raising awareness of a danger or raising money to help children or animals, that’s what we’re all working towards. A loving home.
I think I’ll go send them a little encouragement via Paypal.
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Speaking of Nice people, Mom Unplugged, Lori fom Spinning Yellow, Sam from Temporarily Me, and Jean from Stimeyland gave me the Nice Matters bloggy bling recently. Thanks, ladies!
I’m passing this awad on to JJ!, Matt, Susan K, Candygirlflies, and both Debs. They don’t all have blogs. But they all deserve this.
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Written September 10 for posting during recovery from Chemo treatment #4.
