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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Today's 10 minute Blog on HOPE....

As I stumbled out of bed, down the hallway this morning, to begin my day, I saw an animal run across the living room floor.  For 1/2 a second I forgot that we live with an animal roaming throughout our home, our cat.  Isn't that strange?, I thought.  An animal lives in our home.  My husband would tell you definitely yes, but millions of people live with animals, that we all affectionately like to call "pets".  

So why do we live with these animals?  We give them names, like people. We love them better than people, sometimes and sometimes not.   Why do we live with them?

I went for a walk, after my daughter got on the bus for school this afternoon.  When I returned and thawed out, I sat on the couch with a hot, hazelnut coffee (I know, I can't believe I finally drink coffee) to relax.  Just as soon as I sat, it was my cat's invitation to curl up on my lap and adore me.  I thought about the question that pondered me earlier this morning.  And then it hit me, we live with those animals because they provide unconditional love.  My daughter might tell you it's because she can play dress up and the cat won't sass her when she picks the pink dress to wear and makes the cat wear the blue one.  No matter how good or bad life gets for us, they will ALWAYS be there.  They give us HOPE.  They give us hope for a better future, a better "us".  They make us feel like everything really will be o.k..  Today, mine just helped me meditate.  Ummmmm....And there it was....one of the gifts they so lovingly give....peace. (well, for some of you maybe your pet gives you a different gift than peace...peace is one of our gifts, at least most days)

We named our second cat Bella Grace (KiKi, God rest her soul, was our fist) because she came to us in a time that our family needed GRACE (and she was gray so ironically it worked).  Bella means Beautiful in Italian, my grandma reminds us, but my daughter just liked that name.  Bella Grace, Beautiful Grace.  She is there every time someone is down and out and needs some HOPE.  She taught my children how to be gentle and have love for another life.  Today, I salute all the amazing pets of the world.  They give so much and ask for so little in return.  Let us take a lesson from our glorious pets and remember how to give much, but ask for little; to just "BE" present for someone else, so they can find strength and HOPE from our giving.

I am thankful for our Bella Grace.  She was God's way of answering our prayers for a blessing of GRACE and helping us all learn how to love unconditionally.  Why are you thankful for your pet?  I bet you might find that your pet brings hope to your family too!  Ciao for now!

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