Spring means new life, fresh starts and budding beginnings. Of course, as I write this, I’m also watching snow fall on all the newness. We say, “I’m really ready for spring”, meaning, I’m done with the cold season. There’s no doubting that weather plays a role in our well being.
It also plays a role in the animal kingdom taking it’s course. Spring is kitten season. I’ve become a kitten foster parent. I’m new to the rescue kitten foster world, and I think about this global community as I write this. Do you love cats and dogs as much as we do here in the states? We’re rather obsessed with the love of our pets actually. Cats and dogs are part of our family.
New growth
Altruism means giving of ourselves in exchange of feeling emotionally satisfied with helping society in some way. Here, we have an over population of kittens. I’m taking care of five until they’re big enough to be adopted out by the local animal shelter. It’s 4 am. I’m up. Feeding them, tending to their bath rooming. Making sure that they’re healthy. I’ll do this every three or four hours. Plus socialize them.
It feels good to help the vulnerable. It makes me happy to help, to offer random acts of kindness. PP 2.0 often talks about the benefits of giving of our time to others.
Altruism
For some, giving back or paying it forward is a way of life. Some people do it for the glory and recognition or to help their campaigns for more power in whatever organization. Does it matter?
Helping, providing, doing for others, showing up all help us to feel a sense of purpose. A key role in feeling worthy.
Spring isn’t just the new growth of annual plants, planting new seeds, or the birth of new animals, it’s the best time to begin something new to foster personal growth. It’s the best time to begin a healthier life, or, to pay attention to the planets positive progress after a long winter of difficult times *both literally and metaphorically*.
Spring represents hope while hope leads to a rebirth of our awareness of our surroundings. I realize that the entire world doesn’t have the same four seasons as we do here in the north eastern part of the USA. I also realize that the spring solstice is recognized at different times around the world.
But ‘birthing’ season is everywhere in it’s own way. It teaches us to take stock in what we have, what we can purge ourselves of, and what we can invite into our new dawn. Be it people, places, or kittens.
I’ll have to say goodbye to these little cats in a few weeks. Life is like that. One person’s goodbye is another person’s hello.
In love and peace,
Karen
About the Author: Karen Henry [Daly], MA CRM owns Henry Healing as a holistic well-being practitioner and writer. She’s a former university professor and current scholar practicing the infusion of positive, existential and community psychology. “Wednesday is my Tuesday.”