The other day I read an article about a poor stray kitten that was horribly disfigured and left in a garbage dump.  The poor little guy was infected with maggots, missing an ear and in such bad shape it is a miracle that he survived as long as he did.  Every day thousands passed him without a glance as he cried pitiously day and night.  Not even a glance or a morsel of food.  That is until a 7 year old girl heard his plea for help.  Once in a while someone comes along that gives a shit and makes someone’s existence better.  I like to think of them as angels.  This little kitty was blessed as he cried and she answered.  In her little 7 year old body beat the heart of a caring and gentle soul averse to the suffering of the world around her.

So many in our world look the other way, they don’t want to get involved.  Years ago a young woman was beaten almost to an inch of her life in Central park in New York as many heard and listened but did nothing.  Every day people pass the homeless refusing to make eye contact lest someone might ask for help.  We get into a crowded elevator without a word with our eyes cast to the floor.  One might ask, what the hell have we become?  We have become hard and indifferent.  We have been taught to “look away, don’t touch, it might bite, leave it alone, don’t get involved you might get hurt.”  We have lost our humanity and have learned to save our own skins at all cost.

Last year while traveling with my parents, we stopped at the local cemetery to put flowers on a grave. Out of nowhere came a 4 week old kitten heading straight for me wet from a recent rain.  He was hungry weak and had obviously been dumped.  Flies were nipping at his small weak body and I knew I could not leave him.  My poor parents questioned my sanity and wondered what exactly I planned to do with him since we were far from home.  I too wondered.  I made the decision to take him to an emergency veterinarian and bundled him in rags and off we went.  The vet was able to take him in and I guaranteed payment for any care he might need.  He was infected with maggots and eggs and severely dehydrated but they told us he seemed ok.  We left for the night with plans to pick him up the next day and head home.  After shopping for him and returning to the vets office, we learned that he had died in the night.  My sadness was overwhelming and I shed tears for him.  How could anyone have done that to an innocent soul?  I soon began to feel a sense of peace as I knew I had given him a last night of warmth and love.  He died knowing kindness and warmth and the flies no longer bit him.  I named him CJ for cemetery Joe.  I, like that 7 year old girl cannot tolerate suffering and can no longer remain mute.

We are the creators of our world and have a responsibility to stand up to injustices and suffering at all cost.  Sometimes it might cost us but it will always benefit our world.  I give thanks to people like that little 7 year old girl who answered the call of a soul in need.  By the way, the little girl and her rescued kitty are now inseperable and he is healthy and well.