By Jeanette M. Pintar - with inspiration from Misty

In addition to Misty, our home has sporadically been graced by the presence of Newton the newt, Valentino the Sea Horse, a Sea Anemone called "The Funky Thing", Huckleberry Fin the Siamese Fighting Fish, Phoenix the Strawberry Finch, Piper the Pied Cockatiel, Sugar the Cinnamon Cockatiel, and two Zebra Finches named Simon and Ceceila. Misty was quite receptive to just about any living creature occupying her home except another cat. Having been out in the wild and fighting for her life before adopting us, it wasn't surprising that she was very independent and also protective of her territory. However, Misty's curiosity was strong and she truly enjoyed watching the various creatures that were present in our home at one time or another.

One sunny afternoon I let Simon and Ceceila fly around our apartment while cleaning their cage. Ceceila was smart for a finch and always knew her way to the brightest window and back into her cage again. Simon was another story. (We think he hit his head a little too hard the time he crashed into the wall and we found him floating in the commode seconds later.) Simon flew around the room and managed to find his way back to their 3 story bamboo cage, but could never figure out which tier the door was on. Fortunately, he was fairly easy to catch and somewhat receptive to our help so we could get him back in quite easily. Most days Ceceila would return to her nest with a simple tap on the cage door, but this afternoon she was determined to stay out and bask in the sun. Misty watched as I chased Ceceila from room to room, first aspiring to catch her with my bare hands - which I often did within two to three attempts and sometimes in mid-flight. When it was obvious she wouldn't be caught in the usual way, I grabbed a towel to assist my efforts. Again, Misty watched as I chased Ceceila from room to room and tried to coax her back to the cage.

After about 25 minutes I was more determined than ever to get my favorite little finch. At this point, she flew into the bedroom and landed smack dab in front of me - and Misty. Before I could bend down or throw a towel over her, Misty simply put down her paw and had Ceceila's tail pinned to the ground! Misty was de-clawed and had never showed any attempt to harm our animals so I wasn't concerned. Ceceila, however, was! She took to the air again, leaving half her tail feathers behind. It was enough of a shock and hindrance that I was able to catch my feathered little friend and return her safely home… thanks to the additional help from Misty.

So often in life we want to prove that we can do it all on our own. We can be independent! We can make it without anyone else's help! We don't want or need anyone else to interfere with our efforts! This plays out in so many different relationships; parent-child, teacher-student, boss-worker, husband-wife, or just friends. Trying things on our own can be a positive part of our growth. But we're incredibly mistaken if we think we won't ever need other people or their assistance. Because that's what life is about; interacting with one another, learning and teaching each other, developing relationships, giving and receiving… This holds true for even the most determined and successful people. It doesn't take away from our character to accept help, it enhances it because we receive some of the best qualities others have to offer. Regardless of circumstances, no one is too big to receive, no one is too little to give.

--- © Jeanette M. Pintar, Inspired by Misty