6.08.2009

DysFUNctional Mom and the Crazy, Surreal, Bizarre, Horrible and Wonderful Day



Let me tell you about last Friday.


Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are wondering if you're having a dream, or a nightmare? Things are so bizarre that they just don't seem real? That was my day Friday.

To begin with, I had just worked a 12 hour shift. I was a little tired. It was the kids' last day of school, and I was allowing Shelbie to spend the day with friends, but she hadn't been picked up yet. I walked into the room where the mama cat & her 5 babies stay, to check on them, feed them, etc. When I opened the door the first thing I saw was a tiny kitten lying limply on the floor. I picked him up and saw that he was alive, but in bad shape. He was clearly dehydrated, so I tried to get water into him. I ran into the living room and said to Shelbie, "DON'T LOOK!" She is SO tenderhearted, I knew she couldn't handle seeing him like that.

He wouldn't drink, but I got water into him with a straw and he was able to swallow. He even started meowing, but not really moving. I called the rescue director but got her voice mail. After giving him more water and still seeing no improvement, I decided to go to the Feed Store and buy kitten formula. Meanwhile, a storm had began and the rain was coming down in BUCKETS. I wrapped the kitten in a dish towel, and Shelbie and I ran out into the torrential rain. (I swear, I'm not exaggerating for effect. I was considering building an ark.)

The feed store is only about 2 blocks away. We ran in through the rain and looked for someone to direct us to the kitten formula. My eyes lock in on someone wearing Feed Store shirt....then I look at her face. It's one of my BEST FRIENDS, who I'd lost touch with in the last 2 years! We met in high school, and have been in touch off and on since then. She's the one who got me the job cleaning houses with her after my ex and I seperated. Then I worked in the day care and took care of her sweet daughter. I could not believe it was her! And...she has worked at that feed store, 2 blocks from my home, for the past SEVEN MONTHS.

Surreal. I'm standing in a feed store, holding a critically ill kitten, hugging one of my best friends! So, we get the formula and I immediately start trying to get it into the kitten, but at this point, he wouldn't even swallow. So I decided to get him to the vet. Shelbie had given my friend, Heather, my phone number & written down hers, while I was attempting to feed the kitten, so we promised to call and ran out the door.

When I got to the van, I looked at the kitten, and realized that he was no longer breathing. He had died in my arms.

I slowly drove home and Shelbie said "What are we doing?" I told her that there was no need to go to the vet, and we both started crying.

I had never had an animal die in my arms before. It was so, incredibly sad.

Later in the day, to add to the total weirdness, I'm standing in line at the grocery store near my house, and someone walks up behind me and says "You've got to stop following me around like this." I turn around and am face to face with my high school BOYfriend! My first 'real' boyfriend. We chatted for a minute and then he left. While I was paying for my stuff, he walked back in, handed me a slip of paper, grinned, and walked away. I opened it when I got in the van....it was his phone number! I was cracking up. It went straight to the trash can!

So, in one day, I reconnected with a friend who I dearly love, had a sweet baby kitten pass away in my arms, and then ran into my old boyfriend. Totally random and bizarre.

I keep wishing I'd found the kitten sooner, had formula on hand to give him, on and on, but I am trying not to feel too guilty. The rescue director said sometimes there's just one kitten out of a litter who doesn't make it. You do what you can but sometimes they just don't survive. Maybe something was wrong with him from the beginning, we'll never know. We buried him in our front yard and put a decorative stone over his grave.

As for my friend, we visited her Saturday night and got to spend time with her darling daughter, and we're planning on getting together again this weekend! Good times.

25 comments:

April said...

So sorry about the news of your kitty! Our dog, Gizmo, aspirated on a hot dog and my hubby gave him mouth-to-mouth CPR and he came back to life! It is a very sad time...I understand.

Wow, your boyfriend from the past, huh? Not sure if I'd want to run into my old flames, again. I would have done the same thing with the phone number...goodbye and good riddens! :)

Kat said...

Wow! That is quite a mix of emotions to experience in one day.
Poor, poor kitty. And poor you. I don't know how I would handle having an animal die in my arms. :( Poor baby.
So glad you got to reconnect with your friend!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Awww, so sad about the kitten. :( I would have been traumatized too. Our dog had eight puppies, and the last one to be born was in bad condition, and she ended up dying two days later... so I know how bad it feels to lose a little animal that you barely even had time to get to know!

Karen in Texas said...

((Cyndy)) So sorry about the kitten. One of my cat's I had when I was younger lost a whole litter one at a time every couple of days. It was a hard couple of weeks. The rescue director is right about sometimes there's just nothing you can do. Glad you got to connect with your old friend and it is bizarre about the old boyfriend too.

Scary Mommy said...

What a wacky day! I love running in to old friends.

And that poor little kitty would have broken my heart--- I've never had an animal die in my arms. I'm sorry! :(

♥ Boomer ♥ said...

Sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad!!!!!

GypsiAdventure said...

Oh I'm so sorry about the kitten...how sad. I know I would be a mess of tears, but at least you were there with him when he went.

As for the rest of the weirdness of your day - perhaps something is telling you to enjoy the moments of life because time passes way to quickly.

~K

Lori said...

At least if he was going to pass, it was in your arms getting care instead of on the cold floor. Maybe that's how it was supposed to be!

Cool about meeting up with Heather too!

And I have to ask, how did the boyfriend look???

Keeper of the Skies Wife said...

Sorry about the kitten...you did everything to try to save it.

I would have thought I was in a dream as well. 1st boyfriend...best friend. Wow. Boyfriend liked what he saw! :)

John Deere Mom said...

Talk about random and bizarre! So sorry about the kitten. I wonder why the momma cat didn't do anything for it? And the old boyfriend giving you his number?! Crack me up!

Danyele Easterhaus said...

oh, how sad. you sure tried.

Lula! said...

Oh, my dear...
this post made me laugh and cry. A long-lost friend, the passing of a beloved animal, and an ex-boyfriend?

This totally sounds like scripted drama. Bless your heart!

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Wow....sounds like you might have needed a long nap after all those events. Sorry to hear about the kitten. Losing any animal is tough. SOunds like you did everything you possibly could.

Hallie

Aleta said...

Ohh! I'm so sorry about the kitten. That breaks my heart and I would have cried too. Have you ever seen the discovery channel about tigers and cats and the pregnancy of the two, what the babies go through. It's pretty amazing and it takes a lot for a kitten to survive the pregnancy, so I can see that some wouldn't make it. But.. you just never want to think one won't.

What a strange day indeed - friends from the past. Definitely one of those days!

Momisodes said...

Wow. What a roller coaster. I am so sorry to hear about the kitten. I would have been sobbing as well. Poor thing.

Glad you were able to reconnect with your friend though. That's wonderful. LOL at your ex slipping you his digits.

debi9kids said...

Oh. I am so sad to hear about your kitten. So sad.
How wonderful to reconnect with an old friend.

Helene said...

Yes, definitely a weird day, right? I'm so sorry about the kitten....I've experienced the deaths of pets and it's never an easy thing (and even more difficult to try to explain to children).

How fun though that the weekend ended on a good note and you were able to meet up with your friend and get caught up with one another!!

I ran into my high school sweetheart one random day at the mall. He totally recognized me but I had no clue who he was at first...embarrassing! All I could think was "thank God I had put on makeup today"!

Jennifer said...

I'm so sorry--that poor baby kitty. Please don't feel guilty--it sounds like you did everything you could have.

How crazy that you ran into 2 long lost frinds though!!

Anonymous said...

Awww.. poorr kitty! That is sad. *tear*

AdriansCrazyLife said...

Awww poor little kittie. That's hard. Our beloved Saint Bernard died right in front of me and that's the first time I'd ever seen anything or anyone died. It was really distressing. Big hugs to you.

PS: Shoulda kept the ex-boyfriends number. It's a good way to keep your hubby in line!

Mrs4444 said...

That really does sound like a dream (or a nightmare, depending on which part). Sorry you were touched by such sadness there. At least you can say you did everything you could.

Twisted Fencepost said...

Sorry about the kitty. Sounds like you did all you could. And I would have done the same thing.
I think God put the long lost friend and boyfriend in your life at just the right moment.

Anonymous said...

I was so sad for you, reading that on Twitter. :( I have been thinking about you a lot the past couple of days.. At least you got to reconnect with a friend.. When one door closes, another opens, isn't that how it always works, right?

xo

Rachel said...

awww honey.
That is so sad. I had a puppy die in my arms once and it broke my heart.

(hugs)

the randomness: YAY and bwahahahahaaaaaaaa

Here's to better days and more awesome reconnects.

Mrsbear said...

Sorry to hear about the kitten, what a sad discovery.

But it led you to reconnect with your dear friend, and that is definitely a good thing. And the old boyfriend was at least good for a laugh. ;)