"Love is not a feeling. It's an ability." Quote by Marty Barasco to Dan Burns, then later USED by Dan Burns to Marie in the movie, "Dan in Real Life" (2007: staring Steve Carell)
Okay, so it the apt to be a post on the rom-com gem that "Dan in Real Life" is? No! It's more about a personal loss I've suffered lately--my cat Sophie!
Two week ago Sophie--
Took a walk into the blackberry bushes--and that was the last time I saw her. Gone. Both her and my brother's cat. Since we live out in the sticks I think either the coyotes or a black bear that's been seen around here recently got them both.
You just never know the last time you will see someone that you love. And I loved my little Sophie. She was a gift to me from my aunt Denny in 2016 shortly before she died from complications from chemotherepy: the doctors said she was cancer free, then shortly after, she had an episode and died. I think the chemo weakened her heart.
Anyway, I loved Sophie--
Very, very much. Never owned a cat of my own before her. So what was she like? A genuine scardy-cat, who by MY concerted effort outgrew that (to a degree) and lived a bigger life. I don't lament letting her out of the house, because she loved being outside. One night when I came home I watched her rolling around in the concrete in delight. And it was hard to get her back inside--unless it was raining.
The sad thing for me is that Sunday I was editing the novel and Sophie stayed in my room and came over repeatedly to be petted. Didn't realize it then, but I realize it now, that GOD had put in Sophie's heart to come over and get petted by me because her time was short. To my credit, I did pet Sophie a lot that afternoon. A lot of that was due to my depressed state: lamenting my current state of being an undiscovered talent this late in life (age 49).
You just never know when it will be the LAST TIME you see someone that you love. Thus, learn from the hard lessons in my life and be more liberal in the way that you love. I know we live in this hyper-critical generation--
"Hello, my name is Simon Cowell, and I'm winding up to deliver another scathing putdown."
But the higher ideal is love. Even the bible talks about this:
1Corinthians 13:1 "If I speak with the tongues of angels, but do not have love, I have become a gong or a clanging cymbal."
1John 4:7-8 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
And there's more. I know in another place in the bible it talks about love covering a multitude of sins.
But here in the world of 2018, more and more there is division based on political views. Still, we are called to love and mirror the character of God. Just a reminder. Not that I'm exempt from that. It's just now with the loss of my cat I realize that I too need people or animals to love. But let's be honest animals are usually easier to love than people. Wish that wasn't true, but...
Anyway, pray for me. I need more people to love--and a new cat too! As far the cat thing goes I wanna get another cat like Sophie: a grey Persian. Sigh. Love sometimes it leads to heartbreak, but life goes on. Hopefully someday I'll get to see Sophie again. That would make me--
