Post by caitlindawn on Dec 27, 2005 0:51:47 GMT -8
Hi Everyone!
I thought I'd share with you the amazing relationship that somebody can have with such a little creature like a gerbil. It's sort of a long story, but I"m sure all of you can appreciate it. I always use to watch a show called Animal Miracles, that were supposively all true stories that people and animals reinacted. I always thought it was sort of corny, but I occasionally found my self tearing up from a few of them...and then this true story happened to me. A flesh and blood Animal Miracle...
I met Sarah when she was 10 years old. She was brought to a local home for foster children that gives them a place to interact and share stories about thier foster lives, and just to have a break from a lot of stress that is in their lives. The home is called Bright Eyes. Sarah had had endless disapointments thrown at her since the day she was born when her 16 year old mother died at child birth. With no other family members, she was placed into the fostering system, where she grew up in a number of different houses. But, none of these she called home, as she knew that she would just end up leaving pretty quickly. After suffering from a number of abuses by different households, she finally found herslef in Softy's. Softy was a local hero, sort of like the ideal grandmother figure that you see in movies that makes soul food and has the wisest things to say at the perfect moments. Softy immediately effected Sarah's life. The cusses that Sarah usually spat on an hourly basis were completely dropped from her vocabulary, and she made her bed in the morning and started caring for people, and more importantly herself. On Sarah's 10th birthday she got a book in the mail. It was one of those little children's books that you can get made for you and names are changed so its like you're in the story. So, this was the story of Sarah and Softy. The book was about a little girl named Sarah, and her first pet, a gerbil named Softy.
The same birthday, Softy bought Sarah a gerbil. Two months later, Softy died of cancer, and Sarah got put back into the system, and the gerbil got sent to a local shelter, with aletter attached from Sarah. The letter was a care sheet on how to take care of this gerbil, which she renamed Softy, and her contacts in hopes that whoever adopted the gerbil would contact her, and let her know that she was in a safe home. Softy was adopted. About a month later, I was in at the shelter going through and I found a little gerbil named Softy with a note attached. Sarah's note. Softy had been adopted and returned. I was so touched at Sarah's note, and how beautiful this gerbil was, that I took her home. About a week later, I got in touch with Sarah for the first time. It turns out she was still on the island I live on. Through arrangements with the home, Bright Eyes, Sarah was going to come have a visit with Softy again the upcomming month. Shortly before her visit, Softy gave birth to a lone pup. I was shocked as I had never had dealt with newborn pups before. I really panicked because I thought something was wrong when she only gave birth to one. But, she seemed to be a great mother, with no issues taking care of her baby. That was, although, until two weeks later , the day of Sarah's arrival. I noticed Softy was looking very weak, and wasn't nursing her young pup. I didn't know if I should let Sarah see Softy in such rough shape. So I called her, and explained what was happening. Sarah insisted taht she wanted to come see her Softy. So she did, with her latest foster mother, and a bottle of kitten milk. When Sarah saw Softy, it was like some sort of maternal instinct in this little 10 year olds head kicked in. Her foster mother explained to me that Sarah hadn't been speaking to anyone, and kept herself locked in her room, refusing to come out for anything. So, here she was at my house. She went straight to work, making Softy comfortable, and getting fluids into the pup. She didn't leave the gerbils' side. A couple laters, Softy died in Sarah's hands.
Softy, the woman, had a son in the United States. Shorly after my first visit with Sarah, the son got in contact with her. He is a social worker who's nickname is Torpedo. Sarah is now living with him, and is currently in the process of being adopted by him and his family. Softy's pup survived, and is now named Pido, after Torpedo (the spelling due to Sarah's phase of dislikes of e's-don't ask!). Sarah regularly visits us in Canada, and still makes a strong point in taking care of Pido, her gerbil, her miracle.
.........................................................................................................................
So there's my story. I know it was a long one, but I really needed to write, and it's nice writing about Sarah and Softy, because they all really touched my heart.
On another note, my grandmother died on Christmas morning. She came to visit us along with all our other relatives for our first family reunion. Grandma passed away in her sleep after an amazing week at the Empress (an extremely fancy hotel taht she visited with her father as a child and later on her honeymoon), smiling and laughing with her children and grandchildren at the ripe age of 88.
So everyone, for Sarah, Softy(s), and Grandma, please hug your loved ones right now, and tell them how much you love them.
Have a happy new years everyone!
XoXoXo
-Cait
I thought I'd share with you the amazing relationship that somebody can have with such a little creature like a gerbil. It's sort of a long story, but I"m sure all of you can appreciate it. I always use to watch a show called Animal Miracles, that were supposively all true stories that people and animals reinacted. I always thought it was sort of corny, but I occasionally found my self tearing up from a few of them...and then this true story happened to me. A flesh and blood Animal Miracle...
I met Sarah when she was 10 years old. She was brought to a local home for foster children that gives them a place to interact and share stories about thier foster lives, and just to have a break from a lot of stress that is in their lives. The home is called Bright Eyes. Sarah had had endless disapointments thrown at her since the day she was born when her 16 year old mother died at child birth. With no other family members, she was placed into the fostering system, where she grew up in a number of different houses. But, none of these she called home, as she knew that she would just end up leaving pretty quickly. After suffering from a number of abuses by different households, she finally found herslef in Softy's. Softy was a local hero, sort of like the ideal grandmother figure that you see in movies that makes soul food and has the wisest things to say at the perfect moments. Softy immediately effected Sarah's life. The cusses that Sarah usually spat on an hourly basis were completely dropped from her vocabulary, and she made her bed in the morning and started caring for people, and more importantly herself. On Sarah's 10th birthday she got a book in the mail. It was one of those little children's books that you can get made for you and names are changed so its like you're in the story. So, this was the story of Sarah and Softy. The book was about a little girl named Sarah, and her first pet, a gerbil named Softy.
The same birthday, Softy bought Sarah a gerbil. Two months later, Softy died of cancer, and Sarah got put back into the system, and the gerbil got sent to a local shelter, with aletter attached from Sarah. The letter was a care sheet on how to take care of this gerbil, which she renamed Softy, and her contacts in hopes that whoever adopted the gerbil would contact her, and let her know that she was in a safe home. Softy was adopted. About a month later, I was in at the shelter going through and I found a little gerbil named Softy with a note attached. Sarah's note. Softy had been adopted and returned. I was so touched at Sarah's note, and how beautiful this gerbil was, that I took her home. About a week later, I got in touch with Sarah for the first time. It turns out she was still on the island I live on. Through arrangements with the home, Bright Eyes, Sarah was going to come have a visit with Softy again the upcomming month. Shortly before her visit, Softy gave birth to a lone pup. I was shocked as I had never had dealt with newborn pups before. I really panicked because I thought something was wrong when she only gave birth to one. But, she seemed to be a great mother, with no issues taking care of her baby. That was, although, until two weeks later , the day of Sarah's arrival. I noticed Softy was looking very weak, and wasn't nursing her young pup. I didn't know if I should let Sarah see Softy in such rough shape. So I called her, and explained what was happening. Sarah insisted taht she wanted to come see her Softy. So she did, with her latest foster mother, and a bottle of kitten milk. When Sarah saw Softy, it was like some sort of maternal instinct in this little 10 year olds head kicked in. Her foster mother explained to me that Sarah hadn't been speaking to anyone, and kept herself locked in her room, refusing to come out for anything. So, here she was at my house. She went straight to work, making Softy comfortable, and getting fluids into the pup. She didn't leave the gerbils' side. A couple laters, Softy died in Sarah's hands.
Softy, the woman, had a son in the United States. Shorly after my first visit with Sarah, the son got in contact with her. He is a social worker who's nickname is Torpedo. Sarah is now living with him, and is currently in the process of being adopted by him and his family. Softy's pup survived, and is now named Pido, after Torpedo (the spelling due to Sarah's phase of dislikes of e's-don't ask!). Sarah regularly visits us in Canada, and still makes a strong point in taking care of Pido, her gerbil, her miracle.
.........................................................................................................................
So there's my story. I know it was a long one, but I really needed to write, and it's nice writing about Sarah and Softy, because they all really touched my heart.
On another note, my grandmother died on Christmas morning. She came to visit us along with all our other relatives for our first family reunion. Grandma passed away in her sleep after an amazing week at the Empress (an extremely fancy hotel taht she visited with her father as a child and later on her honeymoon), smiling and laughing with her children and grandchildren at the ripe age of 88.
So everyone, for Sarah, Softy(s), and Grandma, please hug your loved ones right now, and tell them how much you love them.
Have a happy new years everyone!
XoXoXo
-Cait
