Monday, December 30, 2013

The Sun Sets on 2013, a New Dawn of Hope for 2014

The end of the year is the time for reflecting about everything that has happened over the last twelve months, all of the struggle, ups and downs, failures and successes, disappointments and new hope… We mourn the loss of those precious kitties
whose stories ended, in spite of all the love and all of the efforts to save them, we celebrate the lives of golden oldies that still hang on and the tenacity of all the new kittens which are growing into strong and happy adults. Taking everything into account, it’s been
trying, difficult and hard, but a good year, although it didn’t look so good at times.

Life is unpredictable and made up of choices, mistakes and learning, joy and sorrow. Even though failure seems to be unacceptable in today’s success driven
society, we should all remember that when one door closes, another opens and that frequently something falls apart just to allow something better to come together. After a year and a half of struggling to find the way to replace the horribly damaged roof
of the auxiliary cat rooms, after many tries and failures, long months of pure despair and a few sparkles of timid hope, the funds have been raised and the roof replacement will take place in the spring. The first tank of gas for central heating was
purchased last month and all we can say is that the kindness and devotion of our supporters and friends has once again proven that the darkest hour is just before the down.

Three of the shelter kitties didn’t make it to this holiday season
as they couldn’t be saved; Ivor and Archi had some congenital defects that couldn't be fixed and left this world last summer, while Falsika was too old and way too exhausted to carry on. If there is any consolation, all three of them were surrounded with love
until the end and all passed away peacefully, without pain, quietly accepting their time had come. I can still see their beautiful faces and shiny eyes in the twinkling, star filled sky…

Tiny kittens which arrived at the shelter
last summer are not kittens anymore; after quite a rough start and numerous hardships, all of them have grown into stunning beauties, full of love and life. The overwhelming vigor of their youth and abundance of irresistible joy clearly shows that each and
every kitty is worth fighting for, no matter how hopeless it sometimes seems. Many old kitties, well into their golden years, are still here and I can only hope all of them will be strong enough to see another spring.

This story could have
been longer but the holiday rush is hardly the time for long stories. May the New Year bring us all new hope, happiness and the courage to follow our dreams!

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