Hello all; I've read so many emails about giving thanks to secret Santas that I thought I'd offer an opinion. You all know, or should know, that a Rescuer's life is both full and empty - full of demands, full of responsibilities, full of joy and laughter, full of horror and tears - and empty of time, empty of thanks, empty of supplies, empty of fundsvb- oh there is that full of judgement passed upon them and empty of compassion and the reverse - full of cheering us on and that soul restoring compassion from kind people. We get it all - just like you all, who do not do rescue. Rescuing is part of life - it is a chosen endeavor no matter how much it feels like destiny, chosen just like boating, crocheting, fund raising, watching TV, playing games etc. is all part of life. We also should all already know that life has good parts and bad parts - right - isn't your life both blessed and maybe sometimes feels cursed? If not I'm sorry if you never feel blessed and very sorry when you feel cursed. Some of you guys very kindly stepped up and offered, by choosing a ferret(s) from the giving tree, to share part of your Blessings and Holiday Cheer. No one forced anyone to pick ferrets from the tree. Some of you gave gladly, needing no reply from the Rescuer - you know that Rescuer and how busy life is and you require nothing other than knowing that your offering of love has enriched a chosen person/ferret's life. But you also know that the Rescuer is dealing with 1) making a living to support that Rescue (AKA: going to work - a job), 2) taking care of his/her human family, 3) tending to friendships, which are very important, and here's the big one, the really time consuming one - 4) dealing with feeding, watering, grooming, medicating, supervising (hopefully their ferrets aren't languishing in cages most of their lives), driving to rescue a little one, driving to the store to buy supplies, driving to the vet, (and hopefully returning from all), medicating all ferrets whether dangerously ill or just needing HW & flea preventative - and maybe getting a bit of sleep too so that all the other duties can be performed without neglect or mistake. By now you may be wondering, "WHAT IS HER POINT"... LOL - OK here's the point. If you need a thank you (or just acknowledgement of receipt of a gift) from a RESCUER and that person has not already offered one, consider his/her schedule before you criticize or worse - snap. I know when people ask me to call them about something I tell them that if I do not call when they expect I should have to please call me. I further explain that I run in so many directions that I deal with what is screaming at me the loudest - if theycall me they have my attention at that time. But to stop what I'm doing to find their contact info and then contact them is not so easy. This, that or another activity is probably already screaming at me and I'm dealing with that - but (again) if you call me you have my attention and I will take whatever time I have with you, even if I don't like you (the thought here is that a misunderstanding maybe can be fixed - give it a try) - bet they will too. Rescuers give all year, mostly out of their own pockets and often without help, they don't get to take vacations, they don't get holidays off to relax; if anyone is being neglected when you are thinking about a true and Responsible Rescuer - it is usually the Rescuer and NOT the rescued animals who is neglected . Now as for irresponsible Rescuers - I don't vouch for their efforts at all - usually their bank accounts have not been totally depleted, they take time for themselves, their charges are not necessarily clean, not always healthy, not necessarily sleeping in comfortable beds, not fed nutritious species-specific food, mostly caged, rarely challenged mentally - well you get the point - I have soap boxes too and sometimes go through little breakdowns myself. So bottom line whoever is complaining, "I didn't get a thank you", you call that Rescuer, you tell them who you are, you tell them that you were their GT Santa and just wanted to know X (how you liked it, did you even get it, how your ferrets are doing, and SERIOUSLY - HOW ARE YOU DOING - ASK HIM/HER - IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE). But above all else stop feeling put upon - communication is a two-way street. A gift is a gift - not a responsibility - no matter what Miss Manners says. I do hope you all have a joyful and prosperous New Year! Now let's all join hands and sing "We are the world".<<<grins>>> Vicki Vicki Montgomery Tricks and Treats Rescue Greater Houston/Galveston Texas 713-472-6599 [log in to unmask] Click to feed shelter animals: http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3 [Posted in FML 7295]