I thought about how I could write this to fully show my awe and gratitude to everyone involved in making this possible for my cat Smokey. And I realize that the cliche is one for a reason; words can never express how grateful we are. When I got off the phone with the doctor at the Humane Society with Smokey's results and I told my boyfriend she had a malignant tumor, he cradled the cat in bed and cried. I’ve known her for one and a half years; and I love her incredibly. To him, who had her as a baby, it was even harder. He felt hopeless and prepared for the worst, and I knew he was preparing himself to lose her. Cynicism is a plague, and while the love for my animals kept me looking into ways I could deal with something so frightening, I feared that in the end, no one would really care. After all, it's just a cat, right? We have human problems out there in the world! This is in fact what I was told when, in my grief, I told someone about Smokey.
Nevertheless, whatever cynicism has done to me through the ebb and flow of everyday life, you have completely reversed with your one kind gesture. When I got your acceptance letter, I read it at least six times just to make sure I was, in fact, reading correctly. My chin was on the floor and I wasn’t even sitting anymore by the last read, my whole body getting ready to explode in celebration. I ran screaming into the kitchen where Seth was doing dishes, in the quiet, solemn manner we both adopted since we learned the news. My hands were in the air when I said “We got it! She’s going to have her surgery!” and he dropped what was in hand, and threw his arms around me, soapy hands and all. He was shaking and squeezing me so tight; I welcomed the inability to breathe in that moment! To hear him relieved, that now there was a chance, just to hear him say thank you thank you into the air, at this world that still holds wonderful people in it, is only one of many reasons I have to be grateful towards you.
Animals bring such joy to people and animal issues ARE human issues, if only some people could see that. To know there are people like you, makes us feel hopeful in any endeavor. Gandhi once said that a nation’s moral progress can be judged by its treatment of it’s animals. I like to think this act of kindness you have bestowed upon me is a small indication that we are going in the right direction as people. No matter what, we will always have an extra spring in our step because of this amazing thing that has happened to us. I think of all the catnip bathes to come, and I will surely never grumble again about having to sweep it all up.
On behalf of both of us, thank you so much for helping our family, and for strengthening and maintaining the love we have for each other. A little bit of that love is for you now, too.
Sincerely,
Jeana & Seth
P.S. The dog, Shaiana, says thank you, too. She’d sure be lonely without her sister…