Dear FML friends,

I'd privately shared the following experience, and after reading it
I'm sure you can see why I was hesitant to share it with the world.
However, the response was so wonderful that I was encouraged to share
it. I hope that it will touch your hearts and contribute to a happy
spirit for each of you in what has been a week of such heartbreak. We
can save the world, help to heal a family, one at a time. This email
came to me when I was grieving and in such sorrow for the children and
families of Newtown, Ct. I opened the email and just sat back and said
'Thank you Lord, thank you". One child. That's how we start to mend our
sad hearts.

*****************

I hesitate to post this because I don't want anyone to misunderstand my
intent, and it's not to focus on some false sense of self-importance by
me. IT IS to share what a difference we can make in a child's life by
doing animal rescue and adoption.

With that said; A 12 yr boy wrote me for adoption, John. He was
brilliant and so thorough in what he wrote. I corresponded w/his mother
and then had them come to the shelter. I fell in love with this young
man, he was so gentle, witty and kind. His mom took me aside with tears
in her eyes and told me that he'd had a very rough year, separated from
his dad through a bad domestic situation and had been tremendously
depressed. He knew everything about ferrets, he's home schooled and
researching them had been a year-long project.

I hooked him up with a big young black sable ferret that I knew needed
him as much as John needed him back. The adoption happened in early
Nov. This morning I received the following email from him.

"Bear/Griffin as we now call him, is great. He's very stubborn about
pooping in his litter box but were going to work on fixing that. Thank
you so much, you have changed my life for the better and fulfilled my
greatest dreams. We are thinking about starting a little business of
selling little clay ferrets and donating the money to you. We want to
help you in a ton of ways because your just about our favorite person
in the world. You're an amazing human being. We love you and wish you
the best of luck. Thank you and if you ever need any help just give
us a call.

John"

It's been a sad week for us all, and I just thought you might want to
read something so very positive from a child whose life had been turned
upside down this past year. A little ferret has given John happiness
and purpose. And that's MY Christmas right there!!!!

With all my love and affection, Merry Christmas to all....

Barb Clay
Dir of Shelter Affairs
Rocky's Ferret Rescue and Shelter
Parkton, Maryland
www.rockysferrets.com

[Posted in FML 7647]