Monday, December 29, 2008

Today's Medicine: Listening and Service

What a many layered day today. I was gifted with a strong sense of Service all day at work and it really helped me feel like what I was doing truly mattered. Not only what I did but how I did it made a big difference for people today. It is incredibly satisfying to be able to make someone's day go smoother and have them leave with a smile on their face. There were plenty of moments that I could have been quite a sourpuss about and yet I wasn't feeling that way at all. It was good. Listening came through several times today. I understand that I struggle with living outside my means. Intellectually I understand how this is not a pattern I wish to continue doing. Yet I could hardly wait to get off work so I could head out to Half Price Books "just to browse a bit," I told myself. Yet I felt uneasy about this choice, knowing I really don't need more books and in fact I'm clearing out more each day. It helps knowing that I have more than enough of everything I need in my life, even will power and even when I don't think I do. I recognize this itch to consume is based on some other lack in my life and I'm treating myself gently lightly. It's OK to want something, it's not OK to always have it and that sort of thing.

Instead of shopping, I came home. And discovered that the neighborhood cat, whom we've dubbed Creamsicle, was pounding on our back door as if the world was ending. I've not seen hear around for several weeks, maybe even a couple months. Having her behave so desperately made me wonder if she was all right. I put some food out for her and pet her only to discover she was skin and bones! She's not exactly a lightweight, or at least wasn't the last time I checked. We think she may have been locked in someone's garage or shed during the bad weather. After a bath (she was so flea-bitten that the water ran red) and some canned food and water, she's comfortably ensconced in our spare room. She's terribly weak and assuming she recovers we will be either integrating her into our household or finding another home for her. There is no way she's going back out into the world after this. This is the second time in the 8 years we've lived here that she's been in such poor condition. The first time involved an untreated chest abscess, which we took her to the vet for once we figured out her owners (if she has any) weren't going to do a darn thing. I'll see how she's doing tomorrow. We have a vet coming to ease Littlefoot into her next life Friday (she is declining more rapidly now and is hardly eating at all), so we may have her check out Creamsicle as well since she is here. I lit some incense on my Bastet altar tonight for both of them and it helps that I know She will be watching over her children...

No comments:

Post a Comment