My friend’s cat died a couple of days ago. I think this was a cat that Gina, my sister Amy, and I tracked down and rescued on a very cold day a couple of decades ago. The kitten was in the nursing home dumpster and my sister and I helped/tossed Gina into it (in her dress) to retrieve said kitten. (We used to have a cat “issue” outside of my office.*)
I was doing an update with the residents over at the Meadows Assisted Living today, and we talked about how warm it is outside. (47 degrees) I said this is Iowa shorts weather. They agreed. I’ve had friends who would always ask me why I stayed in such a cold climate - I said because of the cold I can appreciate the warm.
When I’ve spoken to rural audiences before I always congratulate them. “You are mavericks and pioneers. You live in an area that (typically) doesn’t have a mall down the street or a grocery store with all the bells and whistles. You depend on your own wit and knowledge of ‘how-to’ … life isn’t as easy as it is in the city, but you make it work!” I don’t want to live in Arizona or Florida where it’s beautiful every day or live next to a Whole Foods or McDonald’s … I want to want and appreciate the creativity we all have to use to get something we desire. Hard work and appreciation go hand in hand.
Seasons … dumpster cats …adversity gives us character and appreciation. Sometimes I think people and organizations do better when they have to work for success; if it’s too easy - is the reward of success taken for granted? Was being the out of shape, class clown in high school the secret to my success? I would like to think so.
*because I fed them.
