Two more wake-ups until I return to the day job so you’d think my mind would be there… but in my endless quest to be present and be mindful, I’m just here now. In deciding what to share with you all today, I was searching for some sort of “Summer’s over…” moment, but I don’t actually feel like anything is ending. I’m not feeling a loss, per se, and that’s probably because I gained a lot this summer. Everything I gained came from Rescue life.
Yes, I had something like nine weeks of vacation (I didn’t count the days) but there was not one day where I did nothing. It’s not in my DNA to do nothing, as much as I’ve tried to force it. Don’t get me wrong—I can relax with the best of them. I took a juicy 3 hour nap today. I’ve felt tortured in my past, without an outlet for the energies swirling. So freakin’ lucky that Rescue has given me purpose, with tangible tasks as well as spiritual fulfillment.
To run this show, it takes patience, compassion and determination. It takes a strong memory and compulsive organization. It takes some moments of shutting off the emotions (otherwise, some of the cases would crush—Rescue is not for the faint of heart). It takes an absurd amount of time—communicating, transporting, cleaning, and the list goes on. But above all that, it takes a stellar team. The moments that Rescue feels insurmountable are only the moments when I feel team-less. When the Squad is present, we make magic happen. Jack Welch in his best-seller Winning states, “Leaders relentlessly upgrade their teams,” and sometimes it feels like a full-time job to manage this team. It takes a lot, but it sure does give a lot.
Rescue gives… and not just to the rabbits we save. Rescue has given me a support system of like-minded angels. Rescue has given me some of the strongest relationships in my life right now. Rescue gives me a platform to use my talents and powers. Rescue gives me heartwarming moments of awe, like when adopters and supporters donate their hard-earned money and devote their treasured time to helping clean or fundraise or spread the good word about what we do. This summer, Rescue took me into the offices of powerful local politicians as an advocate for abandoned, abused and neglected domestic rabbits—some groundbreaking stuff coming in that arena! None of this would be possible without that aforementioned glorious team.
So, it takes a lot… for me, it’s mostly time and spiritual effort. But it gives so much value. My heart is warm just thinking about it. Who would have ever thought that cleaning litter boxes would be a part of my life’s purpose?! I have gained so much through this work, far more than I feel I could ever give. Here’s to boundless hoppiness.
