and why exactly do we all continue this...
Carol · Feb. 7, 2008
this surrealistic bond we all have with our sainted crippled crew?
they pee and poop all over the place, they create a ton of laundry, they bite, they fight, they scratch and they scream and they rip up the freaking garbage. they bark and shriek and steal our food, they puke up hairballs on the counters and they cost a bloody fortune to take care of and use up all of our precious spare time. and then they hurt us in the worst way they can, they freaking die when we are deeply in love.
and angela and nicole are completely right...it is holding clyde asleep in my arms, it is ellie's rubbery moist little nose snuffling along my cheek and her one visible human-like eye, deeply considering me, it is percy's dorky playfighting with motorized machinery, dexter's refusal to give up the good times, and tunie's gentle ooff, ooff and wagging happy tail, and the occasional time she tells someone to piss off. it is hook sitting on top of sweet pea who is stretched out asleep in my lap, and phoebe in a stupid sweater dress, and sanjaya's trust when i pick him up and wuffle inside of his neck and sunrise's decision to now let me touch him too. it is cole's shy, hesitant cuddle, and the time he tried to make off with our beloved dead baby jack's body, copper's opportunistic beagle greed, carly's total mule-hearted, pigheadedness, tally's utter stupidity but softness and innocence, mugsy's absolutely ridiculous ears and princess leia's bonzai bunny bravery. it is all of them being whoever they are and allowing us all to love and to share them the way they want to be.
we are pretty damn lucky.
And that's why I love how you do rescue, Carol. Because you can write a descriptive paragraph like that about all the animals in your care...none of whom is just a number or another body to you. At Saints they are just who they are and that's enough. How rare for any of us to find a place where just being ourselves is enough.