Dear Arianna, February 18, 2013

Dear Arianna,
    Can you believe it, this little blog of letters to you reached 5,000 page hits today.  It gives me hope that there are lots of people in the world who are just like us in wanting to create a loving family and help those around them to make the world a better place.  I may sound like a dreamer, but if you knew what a cynic your Daddy used to be, I think you'd find my worldview now quite different.
    One of the things that is very important especially to Mommy is taking care of animals.  When Mommy was a little girl, she moved around a lot in Mexico and in many of her family members with whom she stayed, she was not allowed pets.  The only cat she had was named Minino, who she was allowed to keep for only two weeks, and this was before your Titi Alma was born.  When they took her cat away from her, they told your Mommy that she was allergic to cats and that is why they had to take it away.  This is not true.  The truth is that her Uncle didn't like cats and didn't want one in the house, but Mommy did not know this at the time.
    If we jump many years into the future, to the year 2000, Mommy and Daddy bought a condominium together, and after trying to take care of a dog, which was too hard for us to do at the time, I told Mommy that I wanted a cat.  Mommy still thought she was allergic to them, but somehow I convinced her to go to the Animal Welfare league in Chicago Ridge and take a look, just a look, I told her.  Well, I fell in love with a 10 year old silver tabby named Sterling, and we took him home.  What we didn't know at the time, but would soon after is that Sterling's previous owners dumped him because he had cancer.  He only lived about a month with us before he died at the veterinarian when we took him in very sick.  It was heartbreaking.
    We then went to the Welfare League again a few days alter, and I fell in love with a big three year old Norwegian Forest cat named Penny.  You knew Penny, and we had her for 7 years before she died of congestive heart failure.  That was also very devastating   It is hard to lose our pets, but we love them so much when they are part of our lives, and we never forget them.

Gone in life, but not in our hearts.  Sterling (left) and Penny (right)

Lucy

    I guess I was thinking about Sterling and Penny tonight because one of thing that Mommy and Daddy do is donate to rescue groups for animals, to help in need animals find forever families, and in many cases, pay for their medical care so that they can get better.  One of the dogs that we have bought food and milk for is very sick tonight and at the emergency vet, and I am thinking about how her foster parents must feel tonight.  She is a mother of young puppies and now has a 106 degree fever.  I hope that she pulls through.
    Our cats now, Betsy who came a month after Penny was adopted from the Welfare League  Misty, who  two years later in 2002, was adopted from the Bolingbrook Humane Society.  Jack moved in three years ago, after spending a summer living in our back yard.  Mommy opened the patio door and he came in and has been with us since.  And you know the story of OC / Jelly, White Tummy / Bean, Fuzzy Tummy / Ali, and Ian and Turlough.  Along the way, we continue to feed the stray cats who come by, and continue to keep a warm outdoor cat house ready.  The current tenant is the old orange tabby who stays close to our house but never wants to come in.  Our one neighbor gets mad that we take care of strays, but we will continue to do it, because it is the right thing to do.  For us, we are the voice for animals   We can chose to be cruel or chose to be kind, and we will always chose to be kind.

Napping Ian

    It makes me happy and proud that you love your cats so much, and the bond that you have with animals.  Even now you talk about how you will take Ian and Turlough with you when you go away for college.  With the love and care you show them, I will not be surprised.


Love,
Daddy