Author: Meghan Lawson
“Will it let you pick it up?” I heard my husband, Mario, say on a phone call in the living room. It was late afternoon on a hot August Sunday, and I found myself eavesdropping on the conversation while putting groceries away.
Who was it, and who was trying to catch it?
Turns out, “it” was a skinny, raggedy tuxedo cat that my mother-in-law, Ann, and her husband, Keith found in their backyard. We couldn’t resist heading over to help rescue this mangy street cat. Ann had warned us that he had an injured leg and needed medical attention. I can still remember the sound of his little voice and those wide, yellow eyes and crazy, white whiskers peering at me through the metal bars of the cat carrier.
We soon learned that this little guy’s front leg needed to be amputated, and before we knew it, Mario and I were invested in his healing process. That’s the thing about hardship. While you don’t wish it on anyone, even precious little creatures, it somehow brings you closer together. Tripp (Yes, that’s his name. Permission to laugh granted.) had captured our hearts. From the little sweaters we made him out of old socks to keep him from licking his wounds, to his loud purr as he submitted to our affection, we fell head over heels in love with Tripp.
We found ourselves celebrating EVERY small win. When he took his first steps after surgery, we celebrated. When he learned to climb stairs, we celebrated. When he learned to jump on the window sill to enjoy the birds, we celebrated. When he learned to climb our floating staircase…whoa…brave…we celebrated. We celebrated every small milestone with Tripp. I’m smiling as I write this. Those little celebrations still dance in my soul.
But this is not the end of Tripp’s story. We actually have three cats, and you know what’s crazy? I mean, besides the fact that we have three cats. Tripp is the FASTEST cat in our house. No joke. He can run up and down the stairs and through every room in our house faster than any of our other cats. And he knows he’s a big deal. He loves to show off his skills, trotting through the house like our little show pony. He’s loud and proud, and we love him for it.
So, I would like to give a shout out to Tripp for reminding us:
- Never put limits on what you can do.
- Celebrate the small wins.
- Slow down to enjoy life’s little pleasures.
And perhaps most importantly, thank you, Tripp, for reminding us that there is beauty in imperfection.
Own your story. Own your struggles and what you learn from those struggles. Mistakes are proof that we are trying. And who knows, you may inspire someone with your story. Your story of overcoming obstacles. Your story of taking risks even when you were scared. Your story has the power to inspire, motivate, bring comfort to others. It’s worth telling. I hope you do.
