We All Do the Best We Can
A feral cat lives on and around our farm. He looks like he's nine or ten months old. We refer to him as "he", even though we don't know if he's male or female, only because it's clumsy to stumble over gender every time we talk about or to him, and he needs a lot of strength and male energy to face the winter weather that will be part of his life for the next several months.
I'm grateful for the sunny days, knowing he can sleep in the sun and feel warm. On rainy days, I'm grateful to see his coat dry, reassurance that he has shelter somewhere. We feed him whenever he drops by, usually daily, and he accepts the food eagerly, always at a safe distance, and he methodically watches his perimeter while he eats.
I'm hoping that in the spring and summer, when we're outside more, he might get more accustomed to our presence. I'm hoping that we can introduce him to the shop, so he'll have a warmer, safer shelter than whatever he might be using now.
His ear is clipped, indicating that he's been neutered. I gave him some flea medicine in his food a few weeks back, and I'll do that again when we re-enter flea season. We keep a bowl of water on our deck for him, and swap the frozen bowl for a warm bowl each morning.
Our indoor cats are fascinated by him and are growing accustomed to his presence outside their windows; they no longer growl and hiss. He seems indifferent to them. I wonder about their conversations together. What information do they exchange?
The thought of trapping him and taking him to the shelter seems cruel. Switching his freedom and immersion in nature for warmth, steady food, and water, but abject boredom and inescapable fear, seems unjustified and self-serving. We do all that we can for him, and still I worry about him. Has he ever purred? Has he ever been pet? Has he ever felt safe?
What karma abandoned him here? What karma led him to our deck? What karma led me to this sore-hearted yearning to protect, help, and nurture every animal that wanders into my world? We never understand the deep complexities of karma. Our only job is to do the best we can, given who we are and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Our only other job is to find peace in that.
Sometimes that's easy; sometimes it's hard. But we do what we can, whenever we can. We are not the only agents of the divine. Others help; others learn; others work with their karma. We all do the best we can. It's what we do. And we find peace.
I'm grateful for the sunny days, knowing he can sleep in the sun and feel warm. On rainy days, I'm grateful to see his coat dry, reassurance that he has shelter somewhere. We feed him whenever he drops by, usually daily, and he accepts the food eagerly, always at a safe distance, and he methodically watches his perimeter while he eats.
I'm hoping that in the spring and summer, when we're outside more, he might get more accustomed to our presence. I'm hoping that we can introduce him to the shop, so he'll have a warmer, safer shelter than whatever he might be using now.
His ear is clipped, indicating that he's been neutered. I gave him some flea medicine in his food a few weeks back, and I'll do that again when we re-enter flea season. We keep a bowl of water on our deck for him, and swap the frozen bowl for a warm bowl each morning.
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| Bliss and Serena wonder about Sadhu |
The thought of trapping him and taking him to the shelter seems cruel. Switching his freedom and immersion in nature for warmth, steady food, and water, but abject boredom and inescapable fear, seems unjustified and self-serving. We do all that we can for him, and still I worry about him. Has he ever purred? Has he ever been pet? Has he ever felt safe?
What karma abandoned him here? What karma led him to our deck? What karma led me to this sore-hearted yearning to protect, help, and nurture every animal that wanders into my world? We never understand the deep complexities of karma. Our only job is to do the best we can, given who we are and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Our only other job is to find peace in that.
Sometimes that's easy; sometimes it's hard. But we do what we can, whenever we can. We are not the only agents of the divine. Others help; others learn; others work with their karma. We all do the best we can. It's what we do. And we find peace.