Cats and Dogs and …..

We have added to our family. Two new furry babies, TimTom and Cardigan, have brought us so much joy over the past two months. We adore them. They are best friends, adventure buddies, and mischief makers. Cooter especially adores them, and he’s the reason they are here. But that’s another story for another night.

Whenever we go to the vet, I take them together as they are each other’s emotional support animal. At home whenever one is being cuddled by someone, the other is always looking for their buddy. So together it is. Masked up, I tote them together in a carrier that won’t hold both of them for much longer and head out. We love our veterinarian. We’ve been going there for years. Recently, they became the stars of their own TV show about their practice. We pass by their office just about every time we leave our house. Last week, Cooter pointed out that the filming crew was there as we drove by.

I didn’t think about that when I took TimTom and Cardi for their checkup two days later. They did well, and we were taken such good care of. If you love my babies, two feet or four, you’ve got me. I appreciate the staff there so much. As we were heading out, I noticed a man with a clear face shield on talking to a man standing next to his truck parked next to my van. As I unlocked my vehicle, I heard him say, “Okay, this will be good. Stan will get you mic’ed up, and we’ll do this. It’s going to be great.” And they walked off together.

Hmmm. I guess the filming crew was still going strong. I loaded my precious babies in their carrier in the van and told them how cute they are and how they could have been the stars of the show. After all, true to form just like she does at home, Cardi spit out her pill when the vet tech was showing me how to give her the medicine, surprising us both (see? I was telling the truth). She’s sneaky and spunky and completely adorable. TimTom is a love bug whose greatest skill is cuddling and crawling into tight spaces. Absolutely stars of the show material.

I got in on my side, and started to back out as a cameraman started going around to the back of the truck next to me. He was intensely focused on whatever was in the large crate in the back of that truck. He moved with skill, never taking his camera lens off this magnificent beast.

Because it must have been, right? Magnificent? I mean if they chose whatever it was over these two sweethearts…..well, you see where I’m going with this. I had to see what kind of dog was in that crate. I couldn’t tell from my vantage point on the side.

I carefully backed out, telling my babies how good they had been (already forgiving Miss Spit Out The Pill), with one eye on my rearview mirror and one eye on that crate. It was a tight space, so I had to do that ‘pull back in and then reverse one more time’ thing to get to where I could head out of the parking lot. I kept picturing in my head just what kind of dog it must be. And then finally I could see it.

A…..chicken?

Y’all. It was a chicken. I mean, I don’t know a lot about them, but I’m sure she was a very fine chicken. Beautiful even. Happily pecking around in the hay strewn around the bottom of that crate in the back of the pickup. Having no idea how her every move was being recorded for posterity and stardom.

I laughed out loud, and I told my babies it was all okay. Because it was a chicken.

That, my friends, was no baby kitten.

See, here’s the thing–and what I had forgotten. The theme of the show is their country practice. My two little bougie kittens do not fall under that category. But that does not take away from the fact that they are two of the most adorable kittens that ever made biscuits or from the fact that they are so very lovable and loved. It takes nothing away from who they really are.

Late that night it hit me that we do this kind of thing to ourselves. We see someone who is noticed or seen or we compare ourselves to someone else, and we see ourselves as less than.

But. We. Are. Not.

My Daddy used to say, “When you compare, you lose.”

And boy, was he ever right about that.

You, precious people, are indeed beautiful and treasured. Don’t knock yourself down or let yourself be disappointed by what you see in the mirror. You just better know that in a world looking for chickens, you are a spunky, sassy, cuddly, lovable kitten who is a treasure. Don’t go second guessing who you are just because you aren’t picked this time. The right one/ person/opportunity will come along and there you’ll be…..exactly what they are looking for. Today it’s a chicken, but tomorrow…..

Same goes with looking. If you want a chicken, don’t start filming kittens. No matter how cute they are.

‘Cause that’s another thing Daddy always said, “Don’t settle.”

Period.

It’s time for you to know that you are lovable and worthy and enough– chicken, kitten, dog, or iguana. Even the person you are right now. Enough. Worthy. LOVED.

Precious in the sight of the Creator and those around you.

Believe that.

I’m off to go cuddle my kittens. They might not be chickens, but they sure are good at being cuddly kittens just like they were created to be. I’m thankful for that and for them.

Love to all.