“I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me.”
-Five for Fighting, Superman
When my daughters and I arrived to do our volunteer duties last Sunday, we noticed a new cat in one of the shelter cages. When I began reading Sheryl the cat’s story of how she was rescued from a maintenance man threatening to terminate her and her six kittens, I knew exactly who this cat was. We fostered her babies all summer long! I hurriedly unlocked the cage and pulled that sweet mama to my chest. I was not expecting to become emotional, but I did. I could not stop the tears.
I was holding a four-legged miracle.
When this cat was rescued from the apartment building, she was close to death. It took her three months to recover from anemia caused by a parasite—but here she was, happy and healthy.
When my daughters and I told Mama Cat Sheryl how we found loving homes for all her babies, she purred even louder. She nestled in and rested her head on my shoulder. Perhaps she could sense we had stepped in to love her precious kittens when she couldn’t do it herself.
This weekend, my daughters and I head back to the shelter with more excitement than usual. It is “adopt-a-thon” weekend at all the shelters in PetsMarts around the country. The owner of the shelter where we volunteer is going to put the cats waiting to be adopted into carriers and display them in the store. Heavy foot traffic is expected. My daughters and I are eager to help. I already know where my younger daughter will stand—right next to Odie’s carrier. I deemed her Odie’s Spokesperson a few weeks ago when I noticed what she does each time prospective adopters walk in.
“This is Odie,” she says, drawing their attention toward the beautiful tuxedo cat. “He’s been here for almost a year. We don’t know why because he is so loving, playful, and he’s very smart!”
Everyone pauses to look and listen to Odie’s Spokesperson. Some of them get to hear his background story. Some get to hear how he licks your hand softly when you put it near the cage. Some even get to hear desperation in a little’s girl’s voice. I know I do. She is his spokesperson, proudly talking him up to anyone who will listen in hopes of finding him a forever home.
I know where I will stand during the adopt-a-thon. I’ll stay close to Sheryl’s carrier to say what was left off her story card: “Resilient mama cat who fought her way back from death so she could learn of her babies’ fates. And now that she knows, she’s at peace and ready to love you with all her heart.”
My older daughter, with energy abundant, cannot be tied down to one cat. She will move from cage to cage looking for anyone who is agitated, scared, or upset. She is Cat Whisper for the unruly, feisty, and depressed. She speaks softly and gently, never rushing them out of their cages. My older daughter will stay close to whoever needs her so they know she is there to help.
Yes, we will all have our roles this weekend. It feels good to know where are strengths are needed. We are anticipating good things to happen and sad things, too. We are anticipating experiences that contain invaluable lessons that will stick with us indefinitely.
My friends, the lessons of the cat shelter just keep coming. And the latest reminders feel too important to keep to myself, so here they are …
- If today finds you fighting your way back from a difficult place, try focusing on what it is that you must see through. What must you do in this world that no one else can do? No matter how dismal things look right now, you are still breathing; you are not finished. You have a goal that only you can accomplish. Let that goal give your strength, motivation, and purpose.
- If today finds you caring for someone else’s beloveds because he or she can’t, please know that you are giving the most incredible gift! Just think about the message the recipient of your love is receiving: “This person loving me doesn’t have to love me, she is choosing to love me!” Your selfless gift of love lets the person know he or she matters and are worthy of your time, effort, and love.
- And if today finds you carrying out the role of “spokesperson,” please know how much your role matters. It’s one thing to sit in the lonely place of expectancy and uncertainty all by oneself. It’s another to have someone standing there beside you, proudly talking you up to anyone who might listen. Sometimes all we need to believe in ourselves is one person to believe in us. Sometimes all we need to remember our worth is to have someone point it out.
In the weekend ahead, let’s pay attention to miracles in and around us. Let’s hold them to our chests and rejoice with smiles and tears.
And if you have any inkling that a four-legged miracle might be waiting for you, then go. Please go. See what awaits you. It could be your saving day with lessons unending.
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Dear friends of the Hands Free Revolution, since the time I began sharing our experiences at the cat shelter, many of you have written to tell us that you and your family began volunteering too. My daughters and I read them together with such joy and delight. Like us, the experience is making as much of a difference in your life as it is in the animals lives. When a customer popped her head into the shelter one day and thanked us for saving them, my response was: “It is the animals who save us.” Sunday afternoons at the cat shelter have become a time of connection, joy, purpose, and fulfillment for us. Sunday afternoons save us again and again and again. I encourage everyone to seek out their own little space of saving grace. And if today's post inspires you to take some kind of action, please let me know. Thank you for being part of this community here on the blog, the Facebook page, and on Instagram. I cherish every one of you and every comment, spoken and unspoken.
Beautiful Tennessee, I am coming to see you! Ticket links available for the October 4th speaking event in Chattanooga here and the October 6th Clarksville event here. I will be happy to sign your personal copies of my books or there will be copies on hand to purchase. I can't wait to hug you! Below is a picture of me basking in the love and acceptance of my California friends on Tuesday night. I will never forget our magical evening together, dear ones.
This was very beautiful! Starting today, I will be caring for my niece and nephew for a week while their single mother recovering from an emotionally abusive marriage, takes time for some much needed self care and to process things in her mind. Prayers are appreciated! 🙂
What a gift, Samanatha. I pray that you are blessed as you are blessing. You can count on me for prayers. Thank you for taking time to share your life here in this space.
🙂
Also pray for my sister-in-law. She’s had a very rough life, from the start. She goes to a trauma counselor every week, but because of her 4 kids, she rarely has time to process things on her own, so two of her kids are staying with us, the other two are going to her older sister’s house. I definitely plan on sharing your blog with her! I pray she finds the same hope and encouragement here that I find. 🙂 thank you for your beautiful posts!
And sometimes….sometimes you need to be all three of those at the same time. Thanks for reminding me that it’s hard but important. And that we can be broken (ha, I can be broken) and still choose to love and still be the spokesperson for the scared and for the sad. But I need to cry about it for a minute because being broken means crying comes before the other stuff sometimes.
Thank you for choosing love, being the spokesperson, and seeing your pain and brokenness as passageway towards growth and connection. Let the tears flow. Bless you, dear one.
I LOVE every single post! I absolutely believe in your book!! I raised my first 2 girls now 16 & 12 in such a rush rush perfection way I now regret. My 4 year old daughter simply refuses to be rushed since born about ANYTHING!! Its and ok thing though! She’s also helped me finally slow down. But your book taught me what a blessing I’m missing if I don’t! ?❤️??
I am a cat lover. My daughter Alishia shared this love. Three and half years ago Alishia committed suicide at the age of 27. My last cat, who lived a long health life, died 2 months after Alishia. It was about 8 months into my grief journey I realized I needed to have a connection with cats again. I started visiting a local shelter and realized I had a gift socializing with the adult, scared cats that are having problems adjusting to the shelter life. I was adopted by one of these cats. Marcus and I have a bond that can never be broken. Later I took in another cat through a different avenue. My bond with Tabitha is very different but still has strong. Being an introvert working with cats is right up my alley. However I have come out of my comfort zone and you will find me socializing with the visitors telling the stories about the cats at the shelter. When I can finally retire I plan to work with cats as much as I can. I do this in Alishia’s honor. She is my only child and losing her has been the hardest thing I have ever experienced. She is with me when I visit with cats where every they may be.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with your daughters while spending time with the cats.
“We are anticipating good things to happen and sad things too,” I’d written in this post. And then you, precious Sharon, shared your story and I stopped to say a prayer of thanks for you, Alishia, Marcus, and Tabitha. I stopped to say a prayer of thanks for the hope that shines from your words, your work, and your heart. Sharon, you will help someone today with this honest, painful, hopeful sharing of your heart. For me, it was the line: “I was adopted by one of these cats.” Oh how I cried. Oh how I rejoiced for that cat and the cats that will adopt someone hurting this weekend. Sharon, I have posted your comment on the FB page so it can find the hearts it needs to find. I know it will. I wasn’t going to post this cat story today. I am tired from my speaking event trip. I knew there were grammatical errors in it. I also thought “people are probably sick about hearing about the cats.” But yesterday a reader wrote to me and said, “Keep going even if you’re not sure that it will make a difference or not because God may be prompting you for someone else’s sake.” I am so grateful for that confirmation. It lead me to you and now you will touch a broken heart in a way that only you can. I have asked the readers of our community to lift you and love you. I will do the same. You are a treasure in this world.
I love reading about your foster and rescue experiences. I have been a volunteer shelter photographer for five years now. I mostly photograph the dogs, but we also foster kittens. It’s such a wonderful learning experience for all of us, including my 13 year old twin girls who started fostering kits at 8 years old. Today I volunteer with Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services in my home town and for the City of Tallahassee Animal Service Center and Tallahassee Big Dog Rescue (BDR) in our current city. My girls also volunteer with BDR and help me with the photos. Keep on fostering and rescuing!
A huge thank you to you, Kelly & your precious girls, for your important & life-changing work in the world. I am comforted by knowing you are in this world advocating for and loving our animals.
Thank you your loving ways with the animals! My dog and 2 cats are rescues and they sure are loving! I think they know they are safe now and so loved with us!
I volunteer at our local hospital in the NICU with the precious preemie babies! They call me the baby whisperer because I so love these precious wee ones! The 2 days I am there are the highlight of my life! They give me so much joy and it is so rewarding to cuddle and care for them.
Please keep giving your love and care to your fur babies as well I will to my babies. It is a wonderful lesson you are teaching your girls. Unconditional love is a priceless gift to learn! My best to you!
Xo, Trina
My son and I also volunteer on weekends with an animal rescue group. It has enriched our lives and expanded our social circle as well. I have also found that the animals have saved us.
Beautiful! ❤️
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Dear Rachel,
I’ve been following your blog for years and haven’t seen your daughters faces in a photo for a while… My they’ve grown into such beautiful young ladies!!!! Their eyes sparkle and their hearts shine through, you’ve done such a marvelous job and must be so proud of them!!! You and your posts are a beacon of light to me, thanks so much for all you do, I hope mine will also turn into such heart-led young people!!! Lots of love!!!
Thank you, Claudia! Your faithful presence on this journey means more than you will ever know! I appreciate your very kind words. Lots of love right back at you!
I am so grateful that you hit the publish button for this post! The way you step out of your comfort zone encourages me to know that I can do it too! It is a scary moment, but the rewards after can be amazing. You are a beautiful agent of positive change in this world. Your ripple affect will continue for many years to come. Like I have stated before, you are an angel here on Earth! Rest up from your travels and continue being exactly who you are! Hugs and Love!
You are such a blessing to me, Melissa. Thank you for the encouragement.
Thank you!!! Precious and heartwarming. We need this.
Rachel, I wish everyone had as much love for animals as you and your girls. How lovely you give these cats such attention. I hope they were all adopted.
Thank you, Laurie. Unfortunately, Sheryl and Odie were not adopted, but a little black and white cat named Trixie was. Avery and I tried our best and we will try again on Sunday! We have high hopes!
My daughter has been asking for a long time to volunteer at the local shelter. She is finally old enough as long as I go along. I haven’t wanted to do it. Perhaps I should reconsider.
I hope you will, Sandi! I would encourage you to set expectations beforehand – such as what duties you expect her to do and that it won’t be possible to continue if she asks to adopt pets each time you go. Those were my expectations and my daughters have met them. It’s been a wonderful experience for all of us.
Did Sheryl get adopted yet?
YES!!! We found out yesterday when we came to volunteer! I even met the nice woman who adopted her. Her new name is Misha. I love it! I cried ( of course!) Thank you for asking!!!