HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

So I searched the definition of mother thinking I would get some great definition I could use to start this blog. But alas, I only found clinical definitions, and some not so nice definitions so I gave up and wrote my own:

Someone who provides love, care, compassion protection and basic needs to another, usually someone dependent on the mother for these things and unable to take care of themselves.

(Who needs Wickapedia anyway.)

I hope that you stopped on our home page and watched the slide show for Mother's Day. Those foster and forever Moms holding their beautiful bostons and a few other special fur babies certainly meet my definition above. If you are reading this, you probably have, had or want a dog and I bet you call yourself Mamma when you talk to that dog too! We know who we are.

I wanted to add to Emily's slide show with this blog in honor of all Mothers of both children and dogs and to say thank you on behalf of all those who can't for all you have done and will do. The following is a poem submitted by one of our volunteers this week. I think this entry summarizes much of what foster Moms do when they take new fur babies into their home. I hope you enjoy it as much as our members did:

Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed, all nicely tucked into my warm
new bed... I'd like to open my baggage, lest I forget there is so much to carry,
so much to regret.

Hmmm....Yes, there it is, right on the top, let's
unpack loneliness, heartache and loss.

And there by my perch hides fear
and shame. As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave - I still have to
unpack my baggage called pain.

I loved them, the others, the ones who
left me, but I wasn't good enough for they didn't want me. Will you add to
my baggage? Will you help me unpack? Or will you just look at my things - and
take me right back.

Do you have the time to help me unpack? To help put
away my baggage and never repack? I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see, but
I do come with baggage -Will you still want me?

Author Unknown

In the past few weeks, our foster Moms have been at the emergency vet with a new foster who had an allergic reaction, have taken a foster to a specialist for evaluation for cataract surgery so they can see the world again, made room in an already crowded house for one more that had no where else to go, stayed up all night with one who was ill, and drove many miles to get another one to a safe place. You bet this is Motherhood and all it's pain and glory.