When I was in my third year of law school, I adopted two female kittens from a local shelter: Annie, a 9 month old yellow short hair, and Cissie, a 6 month old grey and brown tabby. Their impact on my life has been immeasurable.
Annie had these big, brown, doe-like eyes. It was her that I fell for first. She was rubbing against the cage and purring very loudly. I was allowed to open the cage and she jumped into my arms. I recall saying “oh yeah, I’ll take her.” I actually only intended to adopt one – which I think she knew because she then went back into the cage and went to Cissie, who sat towards the back of the cage looking afraid. She somehow made it known to me that they came as a pair. So I adopted them as a pair.
They had this love/hate relationship. When they loved one another, all was well with the world. When they did not….well, let’s just say it got a little crazy. Cissie was fascinated by the house plants, and Annie marveled at the looks and sounds of water going down the drain.
Cissie and Annie would lay close to me when I was studying for exams, including the bar. I did not realize that I would nervously click a pen while concentrating. I really only discovered it when I noticed Cissie looking at me while purring and chirping. She would then approach and then start batting it. She also loved the smell of my highlighters – which she would often pry away from me. And Annie would always let me know when it was time to stop studying: she would simply lay down on my books and give me a look that said “and now, it’s all about me.”
Looking back, I think it took Cissie longer to warm up to me. But eventually, she did. When I moved to Boston, I bought her a harness and would walk her in the Back Bay Fens in between Park Drive and the Fenway. She loved watching the ducks in the Muddy River and loved chattering to leashed dogs as they walked by in amazement. She hated being picked up and carried. She preferred walking by my side…or in many cases, dragging me to what she was interested in.
I had Annie for just over 11 years. Cissie stayed with me for more than 16. And yes, I think about them every day.
Today, I have Kit and Betty. Kit is about 10 – she was a stray. She lived with my mom for a few years until she passed away, and has lived with me ever since. She still has a bit of feral in her…which can sometimes make life surprising…and painful, if Bactine is not around.
With Betty – well – the story with her is this: I went into a pet store to get cat food. Many times, local pet stores will help local rescue agencies and shelters promote adoption awareness and on that day, there I was and there was some rescue group promoting its programs and its kittens. I made eye contact with this little 4 month old kitten (again, the big brown eyes). I asked if I could hold her. She looked into my eyes. And that was it. I said to myself “oh sh*t.” She chose me.
While the first meeting was in a pet store – this was no “impulse purchase” – this was an adoption – and it took some time to adopt her. They checked our references – made sure we could handle the responsibility of adopting a kitten. About two weeks later she arrived. She bonded with Kit immediately. I presume that as I sit here in my office writing this, they are hunched under the Christmas tree wondering when I am going to get home and turn it on (because I believe, much like Annie and Cissie, they understand that it really is all about them).
Now you’re probably asking “where is he going with this”: in today’s Boston Globe, there is this report how the recession/depression is not only forcing people to lose their homes, but it forcing them to surrender or abandon their animals. This is not the first report on this issue, nor is it the first time I have mentioned it here. And as the economy continues its trek into the abyss, I know it will not be the last. Things are tough all around. And it’s tough for the local shelters and rescue programs that come to the help of animals in need.
What can we do?
My animals have taught me many life lessons. And I know that animals, with their ability to give us unconditional love, can be a powerful force to bring reason, order, and a sense of truth and beauty to a complex and sometimes chaotic world. We need them as much as they need us. This is why I support the Animal Rescue League.
Since 1899, the Animal Rescue League of Boston has been dedicated to rescuing domesticated animals and wildlife from suffering, cruelty, abandonment and neglect. With Care and Adoption Centers in Boston, Dedham, and Brewster, the League is a leader in providing rescue and law enforcement services and promoting a compassionate and responsible attitude towards all living beings.
Our friends and neighbors face daunting challenges in this economy. Many are forced to make difficult decisions about their pets. Yet despite these challenges, the Animal Rescue League remains committed to provide shelter and veterinary care. For 109 years, the League has been there – in good times and in bad.
Please join me and McLeod Law Offices in supporting the League and its important mission. Together, we can help the League end overpopulation, rescue animals whose lives are at risk, and ensure that every adoption is a lasting and loving one.
Remember, it’s not just the animals; it’s the lives they touch.
Click here to donate or call 617.426.9170 x615
To learn more about the other ways you can help, click here.
2009: Perchance to Dream
New Years is a time when many make resolutions. Some resolve to quit smoking. Some resolve to lose weight. The list of resolutions is endless. Personally, I think many resolutions are pretty useless. I didn’t stop smoking because of a resolution (but I did quit… a few Novembers ago), and I have not exactly kept up with resolution diets. I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with something appropriate to write about for New Years. The last thing I want to do, especially today, is sound trite. It’s not like you can simply “resolve” to get out of bad mortgage or you can “resolve” to get a better job when companies are laying off. But then yesterday, I had a surprise visit from an old client who helped my thought process move along.
My client went through a long chapter 13. At times, it was not particularly pleasant. But all plan payments were paid and the discharge was received a few years ago. Now, she’s dedicated to her business and determined to keep make it grow in a difficult economy.
During our brief meeting, I noticed something different. Was it the hair color, I thought? No. Did she have her teeth done? No, not that. Then it dawned on me. It was something more.
She was happy. She was smiling. While she was not a particularly unhappy person while the case was open, I think it’s fair to say the chapter 13 was not a particularly happy period in her life. But now, the chapter 13 case is behind her and yesterday she sat before me smiling, happy, and talking about the future.
As an attorney, while I try to get my client’s perspective, I really can only get so much. I can only put myself so far into a client’s shoes. So I asked her, now that her case is behind her, now that she is moving forward with her life in new directions, what were her feelings about the bankruptcy process now that she was “on the other side of it.”
She didn’t hesitate with her response. (I can’t quote, but I did take a few notes.) She told me that going through that difficult process allowed her to dream again. That now she could dream and that making those dreams a reality again seemed possible. Her dreams were no longer mired down in a chaos created by debt that had spiraled out of control. She told me that she felt freer than she had felt in a very long time.
The minute these words flowed, I could feel a smile growing on my face….and a bit of a lump in my throat. And then, it dawned on me: ‘this is what I’ve been itching to write about for the New Year.’
Many are looking at 2009 with a sense of foreboding and trepidation. World events are not exactly fueling optimism about the future. Perhaps 2009 will not be a year when dreams will come true. Perhaps things may get worse.
Or perhaps in spite of that, you can find a way to knuckle down, stand straight, bite your lower lip, bide your time, and get through a journey that brings you to the other side of it: a side where you can dream once again. I know it may all sound silly, but I know this place exists. Yesterday, I was fortunate to be reminded that for my clients in or facing bankruptcy, there can be a life afterwards. And that life can be wonderous. The only assurance I can give you is that the big smile on my client’s face proves that anything is possible.
With that, I wish you all a very Happy New Year.
Tags: Chapter 13, Chapter 7, Commentary, Life After Bankruptcy
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