Maple is back w/us. Her adoption fell through b/c she & her new dog brother had a personality clash. :( She's here w/my dogs awaiting a second 2nd chance.

In time, people forget.

"And, as they always do, in time people forgot, though forgetting is an elective process." -Josephine Hart, 'The Truth About Love'

I am struck by the meaning of this sentence. "In - time - people - forgot." The weight behind these words is especially apparent when I think about loss and grief. No matter how earth-shattering, how cataclysmic an event in one's life, eventually, and quite often too soon, everyone surrounding us seems to forget. People move on, go about their normal lives, while we - the afflicted (and, we all are the afflicted at some point in our lives) - are stopped in time.

"Cataclysm" is defined as "a momentous and violent event marked by overwhelming upheaval and demolition," or more broadly, "an event that brings great changes." Overwhelming upheaval and demolition...I'm left feeling like we ("the afflicted") are razed buildings, torn down and forced to attempt to rebuild ourselves from the ground up. This is exhausting. Sometimes, we don't have the right tools. Sometimes, we don't have enough workers for the job. So, we are left broken down, half constructed, insulation poking through the cracks.

Sometimes, it's tempting to think that maybe forgetting IS an elective process, though I'm not sure I agree with this. I try to distract myself from certain things, go on living my life, occupy myself with other thoughts, activities, concerns, but still, underneath, I can't forget. There is a raw part that rises up, sometimes when I least expect it...a sneak attack of longing and grief. Things should have been so different. That's the part I wish I could electively forget.

Going Home

In the morning, my son & I will take Maple for what will hopefully be her last transport to anywhere. This time, I want to assure her, you are going to your forever home. This time, your family will love you, treat you well, never leave you shivering and crying in the cold rain, never abandon you to hunger, fleas, and misery. This time, Maple, humans will not let you down.

It stings to know that tomorrow, I will let Maple go, no longer her caretaker. I'll miss her. She has a wonderful new family waiting for her, which brings joy to my heart, though still, the bittersweet pang remains. I hope I have touched Maple's life half as much as she has touched mine.

Tomorrow, I'll take Maple on a 3-hour car ride to meet her potential adoptive family. I think they'll love her. I hope she won't feel abandoned when we leave.

Taking Root

As promised, an update on Maple... :)

Maple is doing wonderfully! She is great with kids, other dogs, and doesn't pay much attention to our cat. I've been feeding her Organix puppy food, even though she's approximately 2.5 years old, to help her recover from being malnourished and overbred at too young an age. Her fur is growing in nicely and her coat is shiny and gleaming! She has also put on some weight, so her ribs are no longer as pronounced. Her spay site has healed perfectly, and her ear (the site of hematoma surgery) is slowly, but surely, getting there.

Two prospective families have sent in adoption applications to the rescue agency. Both families sound great, so we'll see where the meet-and-greets take us. Maple is a playful, affectionate, sweet girl who would make a great addition to any lucky family. :) I am glad she's doing so well. She has been a joy to foster.

I've been busy fostering Miss Maple, who is doing great & has an adoption interview coming up. A longer entry & updated pics to follow soon...

I wonder if she knows.

Not my words, but those of Maple's initial rescuer:

"So, it's pouring/thundering/lightning outside, and right now, Maple is sleeping on my bed, snoring loudly.

If we had never intervened, she'd be outside in a mud puddle right now with no shelter, with the rain seeping into her open sores.

I wonder if she knows."

So much said in those few sentences, I felt compelled to share. The e-mail made my eyes fill with tears, not only for Maple - who has finally been saved from a hellish existence - but for the multitudes of other neglected and abused dogs that are out there tonight, shivering in the rain, scared, cold, lonely, bodies and hearts aching. I wish each and every one of them could know warmth, security, safety, and love.