Domino and Her Kittens .. Lessons Learned

Our kitten had kittens the other night.  I realize this sounds weird. I shall elaborate.

A little stray black kitten that "adopted" us back in early December, ended up pregnant, so we discovered 4 weeks ago. She was so tiny, it was hardly possible that she could be pregnant, but nature has a funny way of proving you wrong. Lo and behold, five tiny beings were added to our household 4 nights ago. We have now gone into the realm of "mommy knows best".

When Domino went into labor, she hopped onto our bed & trusted us throughout the experience. After she had rested a few hours with her newborn kittens, we moved her & her babies into another room, into the comfort of a blanket lined basket. Domino decided, much to the chagrin of my loving boyfriend, that she should move her babies under the bed. Initially we didn't realize it was her decision. As with all groups of small children, there is always the rouge wanderer, and as it was the kitten that had been attempting to go explore since birth, we thought that the kitten had wandered off under the bed. Nope! Domino felt safer with all her children hidden under that bed. I slid a blanket onto the floor under the bed yesterday & she happily moved them onto it. We baby-gated the doorway so our other animals can't get in the room, and now she comes and goes as she sees fit when her babies are sleeping. Earlier today I watched the kittens under the bed ... a small pile of little squirming beings that randomly threw tiny legs upward and mewed ... cutest, best entertainment ever!

Regardless of what we think is best for Domino's kittens, most of which stems from our narcissistic need to view and play with them, Domino knows what is best for her family. Mommies always do. We, the viewing public, may not agree with it because of our own thoughts and wants, but who are we to argue? Soon, very soon, the kittens will open their eyes, gain control of their limbs, and go off exploring throughout the house. Their mother's ideas of safety will no longer be part of the equation. Yet during the time of their tiny, blind-eyed childhood, her protection is the difference between their life and death .. so to speak.

Kittens and humans are definitely different in timelines and needs, but the basis is very similar. Children need their mommies & the love, support, & nourishment, in both philosophical and physical areas, that their mothers give them, until those same children are mature enough to leave the nest. Regardless of what anyone else thinks those kids should have or experience, their mother's love & protection is necessary for a child's success in life going forward. It may be considered far-reaching in some cases, but society should keep that fact in mind. Not everything is about what other people think should or should not be.

Thoughts for pondering.

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress

Societal Facets and Differing Viewpoints

I'm scrolling through the news of the day on Google, and after reading a number of articles two things occur to me ... 1. we are incredibly lucky to live in a society that allows and publishes voices of every opinion, and 2. there are alot of people, companies, and causes out there that allow politics and gossip to permeate their existence when they shouldn't.

Take the current situation of the Susan G. Komen foundation.  Here is this organization whose focus is supposed to be about ultimately eradicating breast cancer through research, prevention & treatment.  Unfortunately they appear to have allowed the voices of the right-wing pro-life AND the left-wing pro-choice to cause them to waive on their ultimate goal.  You can align yourself with either side of the pro-life/pro-choice equation, but everyone agrees that breast cancer is a disease that should be fought on every front.  Many organizations that do great things via providing needed prevention screening, treatment, and even research, have other areas of women's health that they also support that may be more controversial.  That does not mean that the Komen foundation should focus on anything but the area that they're providing the funding for ... the prevention of breast cancer for all women.  Politics was not the reason they began this organization, and it shouldn't now become a part of their decision making process for any reason as it causes the mission of their organization to become blurred.  Stay the course, people!

Example number two: the Obama Administration's fight to have all companies and organizations that offer health insurance to their employees cover contraception, regardless of their religious backing.  Before anyone gets up in arms over this one, let's look at the logical facts.  The First Amendment of the US Constitution states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."  Granted, there's quite a bit of room for interpretation in the wording, but ultimately it boils down to a simple point: government needs to not attempt to control religion, and religion needs to not attempt to control government.  Besides, the government controlled healthcare plan that is open to everyone will be covering contraception.  Why should a religious organization be forced to go against their beliefs by the government, if that same government will ultimately be handling the part that makes them so uncomfortable in the first place?  Seriously, live and let live, and stay out of each others' sh*t!

Another example ... the group One Million Moms getting fired up over J.C.Penny's continued backing of Ellen DeGeneres as their national spokeswoman.  To be honest, I don't really understand how an acclaimed comedian/actress/talk show host would be able to sway or change someone's family values by representing a store that sells clothing, cosmetics and household goods .......... seems a ridiculous waste of perfectly good energy that could be used towards actual issues like the treatement and prevention of juvenile diabetes, or bettering the level of education in this country, or combatting human trafficking.  This is a woman who brings laughter to millions, and supports countless charities and worthwhile causes with not only donations but by giving her voice and time as well, and, while there are some who have issues with same-sex relationships, it should be pointed out that she and her partner are married, committed and monogamous, and have been so for far longer than many heterosexual relationships last in this day and age.  Still don't see what any of this has to do with clothing ....

Back to the original point ... it's truly a wonderful thing to live in a society where, no matter what your opinion, you can be heard.  It should also be remembered that the variety of opinions and viewpoints are what makes all of this worthwhile.  The world would be an awfully boring, flat, uninteresting, unintelligent place if everyone thought, looked and acted exactly the same as everyone else.  There would be no original ideas, no creativity, no passion for anything as it would all be the same as everywhere else.  Just because someone else's voice is different than your own, or their politics are different than your own, doesn't mean that their voice and thoughts aren't valid points that should be respected for the added societal facets they bring to the table.

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress