Sometimes you do all you can do and it still is not enough…

Last month I told you how I moved from Tennessee back to Illinois and how different it feels from one place to another.

After the packing dust settled and being a month into this new chapter rather than preparing for it, I’d say my two cats have found the move as life changing as I have, if not more so.

The eldest of the two cats, who is a female named Baby who originally was technically my dad’s cat before he died in 2021 of COVID, has had a better time so far as she was able to go from the seclusion of the bathroom to the freedom of the outside world, where three other cats roam.

Sadly, Leo, my little Tennessee kitten I’ve had around me since August of last year and came to me via no one wanting his sweet little soul, had not been able to do the same himself as he and the one male cat already there refuse to get along.

I’ve tried everything to keep my Leo with me, and paid over three hundred dollars to get him fixed and up to date health wise on the same premise, but my health is off and I’m struggling and couch surfing, it’s somewhat beyond my control.

It’s so sad to me, that little guy was the only thing that kept me going through a hard time and was the only thing in the house I left behind actually showing me love, respect, and attention; he is my best friend and a great cat, as I tell people about Leo: “He knows his name and he plays fetch and everything.”

And yes he does folks, that little white and black bundle of purring fur will play fetch like a dog…he’s special in the first place and he’s also special to me, and I may have to say goodbye.

Others notice his disposition too and say he is a really good cat themselves.

It hurts and hurts badly, and as cats and most pets understand very little English, I cannot explain to him that his ‘daddy’ loves him very much, that he is a really good boy and did nothing wrong.

I cannot tell him that since he was a little kitten he amused me with his little ‘ooo-ooo’ sounds and his acrobatics, that once the human being I thought was my friend became abusive, he and my other cat were my only solace at times, the only ones who made sense in all of the drama and chaos.

He would sleep right by me, woke up when I did, used to follow me from room to room and always (both cats really) made sure I was within his sight…when I’d go out to run errands he would sit on the window by the sink and would remain there until I got back.

I still hope and pray for a solution for Leo to stay with me, and I’ll make sure to assure his happiness and safety, but if I have to give him up I will miss my little buddy like mad, my Leo Solo-Mio, my friend for life, even if I end up never seeing him again.

Good boy Leo, daddy loves you and will love you till I’m dead and gone…damn good cat.

Leo

Concerning the Boat Ramp

On any given day a local fishing lodge will have 10 or more cars parked on the ramp property which I assume are clients out on fishing trips. Add to this another 8 or more trucks with trailers parked there as well which belong to the fishing guides hired by the lodge. (I know this is fact because I was told so by the lodge’s owner.) Then, when the guide boats return, the lodge has a specialy equipped 12 Ft fish cleaning trailer that is brought to the ramp area to clean the catches and dispose of the remains into the Bay. How convenient!

Fish carcasses are left in the basin and remain there as there is no current to wash them out into the bay. Now we have a 6 ft alligator that has taken up residency in the basin to feed off the fish carcasses causing a hazard for the public.

Maybe Bill Sanders Park should be renamed after this lodge!

I’m sure our county commissioner is very aware of these happenings. Favoritism? A blind eye in return for favors? Who knows. Are we paying the bills for all the niceties and bathrooms that are being built, maintained, and provided by the county at Swan Point for the enjoyment and aesthetics of this particular lodge by our never ending escalations in our property tax assessments?

More parking area is currently under construction as are more picnic table shelters. The four shelters already built are hardly ever used. Four portable restrooms have been installed and the rental and service contract on these are being picked up by the taxpayers (who else?).

Hmmm….makes you wonder.

Maybe that lodge should park their clients’ cars on its own property, along with their guides’ vehicles and trailers, clean up their own fish scraps, and our elected officials put a stop to it. I guarantee anyone else setting up shop on public property would be shut down immediately.

Name Withheld

Letters to the Dolphin/P.O. Box 777/Port O’Connor, TX 77982

Pictured below is a photo of one table at the 1960 Port O’Connor Eighth Grade Banquet. Left to right: Norma Faye Munsch, Sherry Wilburn, Esmeralda Vasquez, Mary Garza, Janice Albrecht, Teddy Hawes, and David Amason.
-from a Facebook post by Janice Stadler

My sister visited me recently and gave me a copy of her pastor’s book, “The Trek”. I have been reading it and decided to take my article from his inspiration. I was never a kid who lacked self-esteem because my parents helped me understand who I was in my societal self. We moved to a new community in my senior year of High School, and I was elected Student Council President by the entire student body. I was called to be a preacher when I was 14 and immediately began trying to live a life that was pleasing to my Lord, as well as I understood it. I have never claimed perfection, but I do have a record of living a moral life, even in my formative years.

Some teach that the best years are when we are between the ages of twelve and twenty. Robert McGee, the author of “The Search for Significance” disagrees. “If these are the best years, then life is a cruel joke. Young girls starving themselves to be thin is no joke. Young men dealing with anger is no joke. A spirit of depression and hopelessness is no joke. Suicides are no joke!”

Adolescents are often overwhelmed with these pressures. Parents are so ill prepared that they seem to be of little help. We parents had similar experiences, but we lived in a different world, with totally different stresses.

As parents, how do we help our children answer exceptionally difficult questions of life? “Do people like me?” “Am I good enough?” “Would things be better without me?” “Is what ‘everyone’ says about me true?”

Young people need to find their spiritual identity and purpose. As parents, we need to point out that changes, challenges, frustrations, and growth encountered during adolescence greatly contribute to our child’s overall development. When we as parents remind our children of God’s presence, love, concern, and involvement in all aspects of our lives, kids often understand the same God will likewise care for them.

There seems to be a lack of foundational attention. We are always looking for the latest fix, the latest fashion, or the latest “fav”! Constantly we need to be directing our children to stop looking for answers from their peers, who have no more life experience than they, and to trust their own minds. The moment we begin comparing ourselves with others, we always will come up short, because we never know who those others really are on the inside.

In our kids’ circle of acquaintance, there are those who are selfie-junkies – the camera is always focused on them. Most of the time, I find these youth are searching for positive feedback about themselves and their image. I also find these that often these are the youth who find themselves on juvenile probation.

Everyone needs to know that the same God Who created the beaches, redwood forests, and the hunting leases also created us as masterpieces. God intelligently designed our minds, bodies, features, and personalities as uniquely and individually as He did leaves from our favorite flowers. It is such a travesty that many parents have never grasped this truth and are in a constant search for their identity! Is it any wonder that our children suffer the same confusion?

When we truly learn to love, accept, appreciate, and embrace who God made us – in our perfections and imperfections – we can them share a self-image that is healthy! Comparisons, criticisms, and self-doubt will make it more difficult to fulfill our spiritual destiny.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Mark Twain to most of us, said, “The two most important days in a person’s life are the day they were born and the day they find out why!” As people who are committed to loving our offspring, we must be listening to our kids as they search for the “why” of life. There will be many recognizable signs to the mature adult that are often unseen by the child. Once the “why” is discovered, we must be supportive and help develop those talents.

It is not easy to be the kid – and it is not easy to be the adult, but with the Lord’s assistance, together we can learn a healthy self-esteem that will successfully reach our full potential and an eternity with our Creator!