7 and 5

Seven years ago today, a tiny, golden girl came into our lives. Five years ago today, the feisty little fur ball beside her joined us. Both animals have a unique story for how they came into our lives. Let me tell you about it.

Glimmer came into our lives to save our cat Charlie. He had recently lost his bond-mate, Rascal. He and Rascal had been together for 14 years; Rascal was 2 years old when Charlie came into our lives. They had a bit of a rough start when they met, but Rascal was the kind of cat who accepted change fairly quickly, and she and Charlie became a pair-bond. When Rascal passed away, Charlie’s grief overwhelmed him to the point where he stopped eating and drinking, he slept more and more, and when he was awake, he wandered through the house crying for her. We were at a loss about what to do for him, and we were afraid he was going to die. So, we prayed for help…. and two days later, my daughter came over unexpectedly and told us about someone we knew whose dog had had a litter of puppies. Only one puppy was still not spoken for: Glimmer. She did save Charlie’s life. In fact, because of her, we had two more wonderful years with him.

Violet was a different story. Charlie passed away just after Glimmer turned 2 years old. I was beyond devastated, and despite their best efforts, neither Glimmer nor my husband were able to console me. Charlie and I were bonded so deeply that his passing had left me feeling like I’d lost a part of my very soul. My husband was close with Glimmer, but his heart was with cats, and a few days after Charlie’s passing, we were told about a couple who had found and taken in a litter of kittens they’d found on their farm. They suspected a coyote had gotten their mother, so they took them in and cared for them. I didn’t want another cat; for me, Charlie was the last. But, although he loved Glimmer, she just wasn’t enough to fill the void in my husband’s heart. So, we went to meet the kittens… and Violet chose us.

Over the past seven years, our lives have been filled with challenges, heartbreaks, laughter, frustration, chaos, and a lot of throwing our hands up in the air and yelling, “I. Am. Done!” But, more than that, our lives have been filled with deep, abiding, unconditional love in ways we could never have anticipated. Glimmer and Violet have given us so very much and enriched our lives in so many ways, I couldn’t even begin to list them. They’ve taught us things about our own selves we never expected to learn. They’ve given us everything they have and then some, and no matter what’s going on with us, they are always there, comforting us, making us laugh, making us cry, and so much more. Not only that, but they both have made a huge difference to my work with troubled dogs; they have helped troubled dogs in ways only they could. Sometimes, human assistance is just not enough; sometimes, it takes another dog… or cat…

Happy birthdays, Glimmer and Violet. We love you both so very much, and we thank the universe every day that you chose us.