My 17-year-old cat, Smudge, died this past Sunday, April 10th. I found her as a kitten and the one word that best describes her impact on my life is, undoubtedly, JOY. Just in case there was something that could make her more comfortable, I took her to a local vet the Friday before she died. It was a first visit at this vet's office. Today, two days after my wonderful companion died, I received a form letter from the vet's office we visited Friday. Apparently, they send this form letter to new clients. One sentence in the letter reads, "We are here to ensure that Smudge has a long and healthy life." Even though I'd had one of my crying sessions earlier in the day, this letter allowed the faucets to open up again.
Yes, it's a sad story. What's sad, though, isn't only the death of my cat, but the lack of intentionality the vet's office had in sending such a "welcome" letter.
One of my favorite Dr. Seuss books is "Horton Hatches the Egg". Horton often says, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant; an elephant's faithful, one hundred percent." In Christian scriptures, there's a verse that reads, "Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'." Being intentional is so important in the ever-changing, ever-developing life work better known as relationship-building. Trustworthiness is an amazingly honorable characteristic. How many people in your life can you say you trust, without a doubt? To whom do you tell your deepest secrets? I hope you have those folks in your life. More than that, I hope you're able to be that for someone else. Personally, I'd like it if you are that kind of person AND you are a vet, as I'll be looking for a different one in the months to come . . .
