I mourned. I cried. I freaked out.

I wrote about mourning, crying, and freaking out.

Now it’s time for me to shift my focus.  I have a chronic condition, it might never go away, but I need to develop a battle plan for living a happy life with it.  I can’t promise I will be positive every day, but I am going to focus on one wonderful thing every day.   It is my hope that the load I carry will seem lighter if I draw my attention to the blessings in my life and away from the hardships.  So that is my battle plan.  Focus on the positive.

Today, my focus is on a tiny creature who has been a constant source of joy in my life.  She came to me through chance and has been the best furry friend I have ever known.  Hazel.

Hazel came into my life one day in New Jersey when I was dropping Marlena off at school.  I came out and there was this little tortoiseshell kitty sitting on the sidewalk between me and the car.  She was looking right at me and seemed to say “I am cold, wet, and hungry, and this is your problem now.”

I walked to the car, opened the door, and stood back.  She walked over, hopped up in the car, walked a circuit around the interior and then settled into the passenger seat.

I took her home.

Since then she has been my daily companion, curling up in my arms at night when I sleep, on my legs when I read, in my lap when I work.  She is with me whenever I am home and during the long illness of the past three years she made me laugh, smile, and feel loved. She gave me the tactile support I so desperately needed without demanding anything in return. (Other than kitty treats and catnip, of course.)

My life has been greatly improved by the providence of finding this little furry creature.  The manner in which I found her, the way she instantly accepted me, it has seemed as though we were meant to meet.  Even now, as I write this post, she waits patiently at my side purring her little squeaky purr into my ear, waiting for me to finish.

I am blessed to have such a connection with such an amazing animal.