to err is human, to forgive is divine...i don't think so.

we have a responsibility in this life i think. a responsibility to do whatever it is we do with not only the very best effort but with honesty and insight too. the reasons that honesty and insight are so critical are to bring a reality to whatever it is that we have committed to and to help us to learn and use more care in what we do.

ripples in the pond. we can learn as much from our own mistakes as we can of others. alot of people probably don't know that many years ago, i put my youngest daughter at dangerous risk when i gave her the choice of going back to school or leaving home. she left. and i spent the next few years helping both her and myself overcome that choice. and we told every parent and teen in the world who watched tv about our mistakes so they wouldn't make the same. we also told them by sharing our story, that we were good decent people. just like them. and just like the kids and the parents of other street entrenched youth.

and i do the same here. saints is what it is by virtue of the decisions that i make. it is what it is because of the caring and the committment to give these animals a home. and homes are not perfect, and mistakes happen. and humans err.

and when humans err. sometimes bad things happen. dogs fight. cats slip out the door unseen. chickens or rabbits might be injured or killed. volunteers or visitors might be bitten or scratched.

and every single time something happens, it is my responsibility. whether i am there or not because i am the the person in charge.

it is up to me to have the safety things in place to protect both human and animal. it is up to me to ensure that everyone who lives here or comes here is safe at all times.

and since i choose to share the life at saints thru this blog, it is my responsibility to ensure i share all of the life here, not just the parts that are perfect.

saints is about real life and real rescue. others in rescue demand the respect and acknowledgement that this is not always easy, nor fun, and isn't some kind of never ending happy fairy tale. we are human and we err. i am human and i err...(sometimes alot)...and when i err, really bad things can happen.

in the big scheme of things, does the world care that a little chicken died yesterday because of my thoughtlessness and lack of care? of course not. but i do, and nicole does and john does and whoever else loved edna cares too. and edna cared too and so did her family. i saw how they cared as they surrounded her.

so it sucks to be a human who errs. here as a rescuer or somewhere else as a parent, or as an employee, or a friend.

it is not so much divine to forgive...i think it is better to remember all the mistakes and the pain they caused, learn something and then to try harder to do better. it is fine to forgive others, but never, ever forgive yourself.