Mother's Day when your kids have four paws......

I will warn you, if you aren't a "pet parent" today's post wont be for you. If you are a "they are just animals" today won't be for you. This post is going to be way off the normal topics, but my heart was touched by a poem a friend wrote and I am sharing it.

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to the mom's reading. I am not a mom and I would be lying if I said my mom and I had a functional relationship. But I have been blessed in my life with many other women who have been like a mom to me, so to them, Happy Mother's Day. And to my two dear friends, Laura and Hilary, who are both expecting babies in the next couple weeks, Happy First Mother's Day, you are already moms to those babies.

As I said, I am not a mom in the traditional sense. I have no "twofer" children. But I have three amazing "furbies" (Winnie, Chester and Seybah) who I love as much as others love their children (and my angel furbie, Taz who I still miss to this day). They fill my home with a love and warmth that is hard to understand if you aren't an animal lover. The unconditional love of a pet is an amazing thing. No matter how bad life seems at any given moment, they just don't care, they are there, non-judgementally, unwavering. The world would be a lot better place if we humans could learn to love and support each other more like the pets in our lives do!

Normally not being a mom I would have skipped this topic all together. But a friend from www.catster.com posted a poem on Facebook this morning that I felt driven to share. Ima Manxster, thank you for your beautiful words....


"Now while your heart is beating
loud and strong,
I press my face in close
and the pump refreshes me.

Now while your throat is purring
soft and sweet,
your motor running ...
I never tire of the tune.

Now while your legs are running
swift and sure
and your nails hit the floor
with a clickity click ...

I know your meows, your howls,
your sneezes, your hisses
and they register with me
like a barometer of vitality.

Your silence deafens me
and I strain to hear
something, anything
for my reassurance.

So I call your name,
peek in on you sleeping,
grab a paw, kiss a cheek
hold you oh so tight.

Another Mother's Day
and we snuggle and cuddle
and remember the ones
no longer with us.

And in the stillness
they surround us
always loving
always near.

And the rhythm continues
as the ebb of the tides
the phases of the moon
... my gratitude grows."


One other special Happy Mother's day, to Tina, my pet sitter (aka cat nanny to my furbies). Tina you make it so I can have a crazy insane work life, but know that my furbies are as loved and taken care of when I am away as when I am here (sometimes even better than when I am here I think). Thank you for being their "other mother".