>Watch Hope when she eats next time. She's not eating so she'll make it >another year. She's eating because it's today and she's hungry. Right >now. What a wonderful thing. It's one of those little gifts that she'll >get today. Look her in the eyes when you hold her today. Feel her face >against your face. Feel her heart beating. That will be one of yours. >This note brought a tear to the eyes...It's a keeper. Thank you so very >much. I thank the Universe for my blessings each and every day. This >is the blessing as you so well put it! Firstly, I want to apologize to this group. The letter that was posted actually was a private e-mail to a group I belong to. I'm still a bit confused as to how it came to the FML BUT I want to APOLOGIZE for my graphic language. I never in this lifetime would ever post something like that to an open forum and if I offended anyone, I am terribly sorry. I apologized to BIG yesterday and thanked him for the editing! Secondly, your kind words are so appreciated. I've received private emails and now these responses today on the list. I was so down when I wrote that email. So down, that I literally forgot HOPE! (meaning the word Hope...not Hope the ferret.) Hope received her name as she came to me 3 days after losing my heart...Ms. Flo. I was devastated as she'd chosen to leave us while I was in Mexico and I couldn't get home. This little bundle of energy and joy came as a rescue. Her story? She'd been put out in a field in an empty cage devoid of water and food and bedding. It rained that night; a DEC officer found her and took her to the Humane Society, who in turn (because it's a fairly small community) called some ferret people they knew. The baby was terribly sick with pneumonia and these angels spent money on her care and recovery. They actually wanted to keep her. About a month later, the man received a phone call at work from someone saying they were a State Trooper and that they knew he was harboring a STOLEN ferret and the owners wanted her back! He got scared and took her immediately to a ferret shelter. The shelter was concerned about cops showing up so asked me (I worked in town at that time) if I could take her and keep her under my desk for the day. I, of course, said yes. In the meantime, we all know that cops come to your door...they don't call you up and threaten you but I surely understood the paranoia. The DEC officer came to the shelter and was told that the ferret was in the "ferret underground"...whereabouts unknown! The officer was ticked pink!! He wanted to cite the woman who'd thrown her out in the field! YAHOO!! The little one was so funny and full of antics...I couldn't resist. I decided that Flo had sent her to me to make me laugh...which she most certainly did! I have a thing about ferret names...I want one syllable people names. It took a week to name her. I was watching television one evening and an ad for Chicago Hope came across the screen...voila! Instantly...Hope was her name. Today, she's like she isn't sick! She's eating like a horse...taking her meds easily in soup and is pooping normally! She and I are going to fight this thing with a vengeance. I am not a part of the equation... when it's her time, there will be no hesitation in letting her go. She will never suffer if I can help it in anyway. Soooo...to all you kind folk with such loving hearts and wonderful insights, Hope and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The sun is shining in my heart today and I am POSITIVELY THINKING about a good future however long that might be. Barb and her 6 whirling dervishes...Hope, Cher, Jake, Kate, Sam and Tess [Posted in FML issue 4743]