Deal of the Century

   I recently gave birth to my eighth child, yes eighth. I have a teenager, 2 tweens, 5,6,7 year olds, a just barely 2 year old and my 6 month old gift of angelic perfection.  Three weeks ago, after growing tired of shielding said 6 month old from the intense love and affections of her 5 year old sister, I decided big sister needed her very own baby…. a kitten.  We ran down to the shelter the next day only to find they were running a special deal: 2 for $25. Now, I’m frugal AF and always looking for a good deal and this was too good to pass up.  Two hours and lots of cuddles later we had chosen our new babies but we had to wait a few days for them to be spayed before bringing them home. This second trip to the shelter is what changed everything, here's why.

   In 2015 we lost a ridiculously neurotic whippet mix after she got out and was hit by a car. It was the night before Thanksgiving. We were devastated. She followed me everywhere, slept with her back paws too close to my butt crack, and whimpered and whined whenever she went more than 20 minutes without acknowledgement. I used to say I kept her to remind myself I didn’t want dogs. After losing her I realized how much she contributed to our family. We have been missing something and the need was becoming more apparent by the day. So here we were at the shelter and they’re practically giving the animals away. My husband is as much of a softy as I am and he’s incredibly intuitive with animals. He’s been dying for the companionship of a good dog.  We wandered the halls and fell in love with some beauties who were snatched up before we could adopt them. Then we found Gwen. A 5-month-old Doberman Greyhound mix with floppy ears and a panther like blacker than black coat. She’s already the size of a real dog and has several months of growing to do. Clearly, this massive goof of a stealthy doggy was what we were missing. 

  In the past week as I’ve broken the news to friends about adopting 2 kittens and a giant puppy in my already small house with my entourage of mismatched children I’ve felt the need to explain myself. When telling my buttoned up, very responsible, mom friend I went as far as saying, “we make really bad decisions” which is an all-out lie. Nothing could be further from the truth. I weigh every decision against the various costs of energy and effort and this, well, this is worth it. The laughter among my kids as the kittens are falling over each other and chasing string is priceless. I realize my late mornings of summer are over and I’ll be walking a dog carrying an ultra-thick-extra-large doggy doo doo bag in hand at the crack of dawn from this point on. When I see Juniper the really affectionate 5-year-old stand up and be the most loving yet authoritative dog loving girl I've ever seen I know she needs this more than I need my lazy mornings.

   So many of us are simultaneously consumed by busyness and controlling and minimizing any risk or uncertainty. I don’t get it. Our society is worn out and consuming anything that fills the void in our hearts that longs to be filled with something known as “simple pleasures”. We're missing slow Saturday breakfasts in the sunshine, evening strolls through the neighborhood listening to the clanging of dishes in sinks and wafts of cigarette smoke (gross to you, delightful to me!), hours staring into the eyes of a drooling chubby cheeked baby, greasy oozy grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner on a Tuesday, ya know....the good stuff. Joy is everywhere. Life is not easy. Life is not simple but finding beauty is. It starts with gratitude, followed by open mindedness; accepting that the “right way” might not be the right way. When you listen to the heart of your 5-year-old self and allow yourself the freedom to accept it, no matter how farfetched or unconventional, you’ll start to see things differently. Letting go of “shoulds” is one of the greatest gifts you could ever give yourself. Instead of keeping my life an ever so pleasant bubble of normal I let my heart guide me and I listen to the hearts of the little beings I'm responsible for.

   So here I am, mother of 8 humans, 3 cats, 2 dogs, 1 free flying cockatiel, sitting at my grimey dining room table, greasy hair in a bun, and one very full heart hoping that whatever  inspires me to write this tiny little blog will serve as inspiration for you as well. 

Love and blessings, 

Diana