Hope Lives

It's been such a hellish week thus far...end of the month reports, discharges, intakes...and, of course, dealing with the loss of all the wildlife in my neighborhood. Each morning and evening I find myself stepping outdoors gazing about, hoping, but seeing no signs of life...even the little kitten I saw the other day has since disappeared. Today is the first sunny morning we have had all week, and as I sipped my coffee on the back porch, looking about, as usual, I saw nothing. I was about to head indoors when something caught at the corner of my eye. No, it wasn't a trick of the eye, not an illusion. Mama Cat was there...stretched out on one of the benches in my neighbor's backyard....catching a bit of the sun and giving herself a bath.  My eyes filled with tears of joy as I thought to myself, "She's alive....and with life comes hope."  

According to mythology, when Pandora opened her famous box, she let out all the evils out into the world, but she was so filled with grief and pain that she didn't hear the voice of hope which was begging to be released. Finally, at the depths of her despair, Pandora sat in front of the box seeking some relief from her pain, when her sobs finally exhausted her and she became quiet; it was then she heard it, that wee little voice begging to be freed. At first, she was terrified and for good reason, but after awhile, she figured could be anything worse than what she had already unleashed upon the world?   So, after carefully considering the consequences, Pandora decided that there was nowhere deeper or darker to go; she opened the box and HOPE flew our and began to heal our wounds.

And, my dear blog friends, that is exactly how I felt this morning when I opened the door and saw Mama Cat.  It was as if I had opened the lid of Pandora's Box. All week long I have been among the walking wounded, despairing, in pain, feeding on anger and and vengeful feeling.  I was consumed with "How can I strike back?  What can I do?"  But Mama brought a new hope. And as I walked to work, I saw a family of squirrels who lived down the block.  Perhaps one day a new squirrel family will return. Yes,Hope lives on in Brooklyn....in the form of calico mother cat. 

For human nature Hope remains alone

Of all the deities; the rest are flown.
Faith is departed; Truth and Honour dead;
And all the Graces too, my friends, are fled.
The scanty specimens of living worth,
Dwindled to nothing, and extinct on earth.
Yet whilst I live and view the light of heaven,
Since hope remains and never has been driven
From the distracted world--the single scope
Of my devotion is to worship Hope.
When hecatombs are slain, and altars burn,
When all the deities adored in turn,
Let Hope be present; and with Hope, my friend,
Let every sacrifice commence and end.
Yes, Insolence, Injustice, every crime,
Rapine and Wrong, may prosper for a time;
Yet shall they travel on to swift decay,
Who tread the crooked path and hollow way.

--Theogris of Megara (6th Century B.C.)--