I have a new "buddy" keeping me company in my office this week. Here's a picture of him lounging comfortably on a cushy bed given as a gift by my indulgent daughter!
This little kitten, who looks to be about 12 weeks old, has an amazing story to tell about perseverance, resilience, and surviving against all the odds!
Sometime toward the middle of December, when it was quiet in our house at night or in the mornings, every now and then we began hearing a cat meowing and crying loudly outside. I'd go outside and look and call, but I never did see it. And, considering that we've literally had several feet of snow this year, it was hard to get around and really look thoroughly. I assumed it belonged to a neighbor and cursed to myself that someone would be so uncaring as to leave a pet outside on these snowy, frigid, below-zero nights that we've been having.
Finally, this past Sunday morning, my daughter and her boyfriend (a near-permanent figure in our house recently!) decided to go out and do a more thorough search. That is when they found "Marley" who in just 2-1/2 days has found a spot in all of our hearts. He was huddled under a bush, up against the foundation of our house shivering uncontrollably and obviously starving. He had a little bare spot of frozen ground to lie on, but all around him was snow far above his head. Worse, the pads on all four of his paws were frostbitten and raw, making it extremely painful and almost impossible for the little guy to walk.
When he "meowed" we all instantly recognized his cry as the one we'd been hearing on and off for weeks. We don't know where he came from, how he got there, or how he could have possibly survived!
Of course, we did the only thing we could: we brought him in, fed him, warmed him up, and called the vet. Within 30 minutes he was purring gratefully and I don't think he has stopped since. It is pretty clear that Marley found his new adoptive home on Sunday morning!
What does this have to do with job searching? Not much! But, it is absolutely amazing that this starving, freezing, injured kitten survived for the weeks it took us to find him. And today, it has me thinking about how even when things look the darkest, and the challenges seem insurmountable, we can get through them. And more importantly, with perseverance and the right attitude, we can not only get through them, but get through them having learned important lessons and sometimes even finding ourselves in a "place" that may even be better than anything we could have imagined.
I think that's a lesson that it doesn't hurt any of us to be reminded of! Particularly right now when the world is facing such unprecedented global economic challenges.
