Here kitty, kitty, kitty.  Where oh where is my sweet little kitty?  Kitty…kitty…kitty….

Kitty….Kitty….Kitty…..

Trustingly, my Grand kitty, Luna heeds her Grandma and crawels into my arms. HA…Worked again!  Got her!  I gently cuddle her to my breast and stroke under her chin as reward.  Little does my girl know…but it’s time for her visit to the Vet.  My fellow pet owners can sympathize for they know the horrors of crating a cat and hauling them off in the automobile.  Let’s just say it can become the Wild Kingdom right in your Living Room and Mutual of Omaha can’t and won’t do anything to help you!  (Ok…I’m dating myself…I wonder how many will get it)

Anyway…I opt to omit the crate and slide her into my vest instead.  Luna’s a petite little thing but she rules our roost of two huge dogs and one big orange Tom cat.  No holds barred and no doubt about!   She is Ms. Wonder Kitty of the Hardy/Replogle abode.  Don’t let her cute outer exterior fool you…underneath that fur she’s a LIONESS!  A lioness ready to take over for The Lion King!  Rafiki would have little trouble convincing her to do her “THANG!”  Hakuna Matata  is her motto indeed!

Today, however, the wildcat disappeared and the kitten showed her cute little face.  Poor baby was scared to go see the mean ole Doctor.  Big vicious Doctor that she is! (Actually she’s a wee-little lass…very sweet, gentle and soft spoken and takes such great care of our fur babies.)

Tucked away under my vest, Luna covered her face within my warmth and hunkered down for the worse.  Bless her heart she road cuddled to my chest the whole way (of course we’re only 5 minutes away for our nice sweet Vet people).  Once inside and in the room Luna hid her face and I was amazed at the transformation from she-devil cat to the little pussy she was being!   Change her environment and WHAM what a sweet little puddy tat!

Aren’t we all like that?  Well, maybe not everyone, but introverts…probably so!  In fact truth be known I bet even the biggest extrovert feels a little uncomfortable in a strange and unusual environment.   Claiming myself an introvert I attest to the fact that change and strange and unusual environments rocks my boat to the bottom of the ocean! So much so that once again I become that four year old waif cowering and hiding behind my Mama’s skirt!  And so became Luna.   Feeling anxious and afraid she sought with all of her body to be next to something familiar.  Her Grandma!  I confess…I absolutely loved it!  I loved the trust and confidence she placed within me during her time of fright.   But at the same time my heart hurt because of the fear she was suffering.   I wished with all my heart I could see Luna the she-devil swatting the dogs and chasing Morris, our Tom, away from their kitty castle!

The doctor came and the doctor went and Luna survived her visit…shot and all.  All the way home she snuggled into my vest, quivering silently.  The door to her abode opened and instantly she leaped from my arms and assumed her position as Queen of her castle. I swear it was like watching the transformation from Dianna to Wonder Woman!  Once again she was strutting her stuff and all the bad and fear was gone….forgotten.

Oh how I would love to perform a “Luna.”   To have the ability to just forget all the bad and fearful things!    I envy her!  There are so many choices and decisions I’ve made through the years that haunt me every day.  There is that sound….that rips at my heart…that cry I hear in the quiet or that look of hopeless despair ingrained upon the screen in my mind.  Would to God I could perform a “Luna” and swirl myself around and have all of those haunts erased from my heart and mind.  However, as hard as I try no amount of magical spinning can take it away.  It just doesn’t work.   No…the memories and fear lingers and nags until it occupies my mind wreaking havoc and stress upon my emotions.   I have learned the art of self-talk.  You know, repeating positive mantras to fade the memory and ease the pain and guilt.  Sometimes it helps but more often than not it doesn’t.  The only thing that helps is to actually embrace the pain and let it hurt.  Let the pain do its work but only for so long.  I let it have its way for a while for I feel it’s least I can do.    After its run its course I pick myself up, dust off my pants, push back my hair, square my shoulders and face my day.  What else can we do?  We can’t deny our past…we can’t erase it; therefore I’ve learned to accept it and to let it hurt and then to let it go and to live my life!  You know….Let Go and Let God.  So here’s to my Luna…My Wonder-Kitty!  May I be more like her!