Tracy Lee:
 
Your story was heartwarming. Reminds me of the wise church pastor
who was consulted as a last resort by a wealthy parishioner. Seems
that faithful church member had blown a hugh wad of dough seeking
help from psychiatrists to cure her depression. Finally, all other
means exhausted, she talked to the clergyman, suspecting that as a
simple country parson he had no means of dealing with a deepset
problem that the best professional help could not come to grips
with....Well, the parson asked what the lady's hobbies were,
Seemed all she could do was cook a little. No real hobbies. So the
parson suggested she bake a pie and take it down to the nearby
retirement home run by his denomination and give it to them. He
saw her again in church a few months later. Asked how the
depression was going. The lady said she did'nt have time to be
depressed anymore. That simple act had blossomed into a full time
baking ministry and she now bakes things for retirement homes all
over the county.
 
Our ferret Scooter was our only source a smiles and laughter a few
years back when I was out of work for two years, Tracy-Lee. I know
what their funny antics can mean to you. Life was so grim then
that we just love that little guy for being so cute and silly . We
love cats and dogs for their comfort and companionship, but only
cuddle worms can be so funny as to make  depressed people laugh in
spite of themselves . So, a few years back, knowing that our love
rat would not be around forever, I took a neat photo of Scooter
and mounted it expensively with this ditty neatly typeset
underneath:
                  " Our tiny white ferret
                    with perky red eyes
                    fills us with joy
                    and our days with surprise.
 
                    He flits thought the room
                    with whiskers protruding.
                    He runs though the house.
                    Such joy he's exuding!
 
                    White as a snowfall
                    our shy polar bear
                    peaks from his hiding place
                    under our care.
 
                    Our days were so troubled
                    and ridden with strife.
                    Yet joy, love and laughter
                    he brought to our life. "
 
Scooter is still in good health for a little old guy. But one day
we will need another fuzzy. Keep us in mind.
 
Dixon, Barbara, Scooter and Max the cat
[Posted in FML issue 1048]