Greetings friends, family, readers, casual acquaintences and the rest. Well, the Toronto Santa Claus Parade is over. Two of our local radio stations have started playing Christmas music and of course, the stores have been at it since the middle of October when the Christmas shipments have been stockpiled in the back rooms behind the Halloween goodies.
It's officially the Christmas season here north of the border. This Thursday marks the start of the holidays south of us. I'm still grappling with household renovations here. I recently had to box up everything from the living room to paint and (hopefully!) in preparation to put down new flooring. I was amazed at the amount of STUFF we've collected over the years. Luckily, here in town, several organizations were collecting other peoples' STUFF for sales and fundraising. I promptly lined up empty cardboard boxes and started clearing out the STUFF. There was a book box for the local library book sale, gently used magazines for the hospital where I volunteer, lots and lots and lots of paper for the recyle and, while I was at it, I cleared out closets and bagged up gently used clothing for Goodwill and the Salvation Army. In the process, I learned that my local animal shelter was in need of clean blankets and towels so I plunged into my linen closet as well.
To my horror, I realized I had only made a small dent in the amount of STUFF I still had to box up and move before we start ripping out the old carpeting. It got me to thinking about those loony-tunes reality shows about people who are drowing in their own STUFF. Hoarders, clutterers, consumers, collectors - and those half-wits who abandon their own STUFF in storage lockers.
So, Christmas is coming. People will get in their cars and go "dashing through the mall..." to buy STUFF, more STUFF. STUFF some people don't need, can't use or will re-STUFF next year. This brings me to the point of today's blog....
In lieu of STUFF, why not jump on the net, surf to your nearest animal shelter agency and give something somebody really needs. I'm talking about donations, people. Money, specifically, since most city animal shelters, like the Toronto Humane Society, are 100% not for profit and rely on donations from the public. I have been donating for years since I am a rabid (pun intended) animal lover. In the small backyard of the senior's condo my parents own is a mini-pet cemetary. Three dogs and one cat. When they passed, one at a time, they were cremated and buried in gardens with flowering bushes above them. Three house moves later they all reside together now under a beautiful Rose of Sharon, lovingly tended by my mother, Canada's unofficial "Canadian Gardener." They were, all of them, treasured and loved and filled our lives with irreplacable affection and unquestioning loyalty. (I have often been heard to say that I will NEVER have another husband, but will always have another dog! Another blog for another time.)
Every year the OSPCA - Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The Toronto Humane Society care for hundreds of abandoned and abused animals. This includes, food, shelter, veterinary services, medication and special public education services. None of this is accomplished in a free vacuum. Donations of money, materials, time, volunteers and special services make these organizations run smoothly and efficiently. No animal is turned away - no situation goes uninvestigated - 24/7. Every holiday season these organizations run seasonal fundraising campaigns. This year is no exception since I received my mailing today - hence this blog.
When our beloved cat, Buddy, passed from our lives after 18 years, I asked my friends and family to make a donation in his memory, which they did. He too was a THS rescue. A few short months later I was able to set aside my grieving and one Sunday afternoon we took a drive to the local animal shelter just to "look" at making an addition to our family. We came home with 2 adorable kittens, Beau and Belle. They run our lives, as anyone who knows us will tell you. Last October, Beau was rushed to our vet with what was later diagnosed as atrial fibrillation. In layman's terms, he had a heart attack. Our rambunctious three-year-old suffered from congestive heart failure. Armed with prayers, tears and lots of hours walking the floor, the vets did their job and pulled him back from the brink. I am happy to report that he is a healthy, furry bundle of trouble who requires only daily medication and a slightly altered diet. He loves to wake me up in the morning by jumping on my boobs and never tires in starting fights with his sister, Belle. Last winter he actually caught a mouse in our basement and was proclaimed worth his weight in gold, regardless of however many toilet paper bombs he leaves in the bathroom or how often I catch him on the counter nibbling out of my sandwich whenever my back is turned.
Belle is daddy's girl. A gorgeous orange tabby who was the runt in a litter with a little crook in her tail and a tiny heart murmer. She gets meds, too. She loves to climb on my husband and curl up in the crook of his neck and sleep while he watches tv. She has a snore you can hear in the next room. Our lives wouldn't be the same without either of them.
But other animals are not so lucky. So, this season, I'm asking you to set aside the idea of trudging out into the cold, fighting crowds in the mall and spending precious time in lines, not to mention the cost, to buy STUFF.
STUFF THE STUFF!
Make a donation instead. It's just too easy! And, here in Ontario, the OSPCA and THS will send you a thank you card or, if you wish, send the card to someone if you make a donation in their name. The year we lost our Buddy, the THS included his name on their memorial page. You can donate in the name of an animal or person. There is also another very practical perk to this idea. By the time you've forgotten all about the donation you made at Christmas, a nice reminder will arrive in the mail next Spring. Your Tax Receipt! Donations of over $20.00 gets you one of these and you get to deduct your donation amount off your income tax. Bet you can't do that with a Chia or that jar of gourmet artichokes collecting dust in the back of your pantry! A donation really is the gift that keeps on giving. If the idea of giving a lump sum all at once bothers you, think about spreading out the payment monthly. Zoom over to your animal shelter website and investigate the options available. Think of it as one coffee a week, which you won't miss or one candy bar or fast food meal, which none of us really needs.
For those of you who might take this spark of an idea even further, why not make a trip to your local animal shelter and see about giving a deserving animal a loving home? It may be the best decision you make this season and for many seasons in the future.
So, readers, once again....instead of giving STUFF, just GIVE to your local animal shelter. It will make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and you might go home with something warm and fuzzy for every other part of your life.
Wishing you a simply Purrrrrfect Holiday Season!
