“There is only one happiness in life—to love and be loved”. ~ George Sands
Sometimes in the morning I walk up the hill and around a loop that takes me through the open space at the back of my house. I love to see nature going through its different phases and the deer, rabbits and turkeys doing their thing. This time of year the water is very low. I am glad that the creek still flows behind my house enabling the animals to still find drinking water in the arid conditions of California.
There is a camping ground just next door to me, and many people walk their dogs there. Unfortunately, it is also an area where people drop off dogs and cats they can no longer care for. I often see animals looking lost and scared because they no longer have a home and they don’t understand what happened to them. It is very sad and my heart aches to take all these beautiful creatures in which I can’t do as I have a cat that doesn’t appreciate other animals around. There are many cats that have become feral as a result of their abandonment.
Every morning and evening, there is a woman who comes to feed the cats. They get good meals twice a day and they look quite fat and perfectly happy. The other day while walking there, I saw her and she said someone had just dropped off a litter of kittens. There in the bushes was the cutest little kitten, with big eyes, afraid to trust anyone but obviously grateful that someone was coming to give love and food.
As much as it makes me mad that people can be so cruel and inconsiderate as to abandon an animal, I am also so grateful to the angel that takes time every day to love and care for the kitties. What an act of service she does. The Buddhists say that it is an act of great merit to rescue animals, and she definitely gets her good karma points.
As I walked away, I thought about the angels we all have around us, seen and unseen who love and care for us and make sure we are safe. Sometimes, it is easy to take these people in our lives for granted. Sometimes, we forget the service they give us.
I am thinking right now about the years I battled cancer and how my community rallied around me to take care of me. I could not believe the love, the dedication and the care that poured forth from my friends and family. It is often easy to forget when we are well and life is “normal” that we have angels around us.
Take a moment now to think about how others are surrounding you and supporting you. Who in your life is an angel that you can acknowledge and thank today? And who are you an angel to? We all need a little appreciation and acknowledgment. It goes a long way.
“Love one another and you will be happy; it is as simple and as difficult as that.”~ Michael Leunig