Sometimes it takes a moment to sit back and realize there is a need
to count your blessings. Once you start, if you do it right, you will
probably find yourself re-prioritizing.

The youngest of my charges, my 4-legged children, succumbed suddenly
to a horrible illness that destroyed his intestines. Trying to figure
out what was wrong with him involved what could have been, should
have been, nearly a thousand dollars worth of tests before finally in
desperation we rushed him into surgery. We never woke him up. He was
born deaf and I pray daily he heard me all the times I told him he was
such a good boy and how much I loved him. Because some very caring
people are my vets and they cry when I do, those tests and surgery
will not be half of what they could be.

The rest of my kids are, while not healthy, are at least medically
stable. For now at least, I have the funds to pay for all of our
medicines, theirs and mine. We have a roof over our heads, food in
our bowls. We don't drive a new car, but it's a reliable car. Food,
shelter, transportation.

In my own human family homes have been lost because there wasn't enough
money to pay the mortgage. Dieting is well and good, but skipping meals
because there is no food in the refrigerator and no money to buy any is
not. Cars have been borrowed to get to work or a doctor's appointment
when one broke down stranding its owner. Medicines are brought in from
other countries because they are too expensive to buy here and the rush
is on to get vision, dental and needed medical procedures done because
those insurance benefits are about to be cut leaving doing without the
only alternative. On the other hand, where others we know are loosing
their jobs and all their medical benefits, our paychecks are secure and
we will be able to retain at least basic health care coverage.

Another shelter is in the middle of unimaginable hardship and
heartbreak. Distemper is not an easy illness to deal with and death
ravages not only bodies, but hearts and souls. I have seen photos of
ferrets with distemper and pray it never crosses my door. I don't know
how they can face what they are. I can't imagine.

One of my foster moms called me this evening in a panic and tears. She
works only part time and she just found out her rent is going to go up
$800 a month. Not to $800 a month, up $800 a month. Besides my 3 foster
ferrets, she has 3 of her own and nowhere for any of them, including
her, to go. She's 60 years old.

Makes the broken TV at my house kind of unimportant, don't you think?
What's important at yours?

Food, shelter, and what else?

Hold those you love tightly.

[Posted in FML 7049]