By Jeanette M. Pintar - with inspiration from Misty

Misty had a thing for boxes. She loved hiding, playing and generally hanging out in them - Often before we could even remove their contents! While Mark and I were excited about what came inside and considered the box itself to be trash, Misty would do anything to claim her prized box - no matter content, color, or size. One day after considerable effort, she even managed to squeeze her entire body into an empty box for file folders!

Misty had a distinct ability for turning trash into something worthwhile. Although she never had an over-abundance of store-bought kitty accessories, she never lacked what she needed or wanted - including toys. Misty knew how to make the most of what was available to her. Come to think of it, this trait is prevalent throughout our family, from my grandmother to my parents and siblings.

We can all transform stuff into something useful, and not just with physical things, either. Every one of us will end up with some kind of emotional or intellectual garbage, too. When we become aware of it, we can change it from something that really stinks and feels pretty rotten in the moment, into a valuable life lesson and learn to do better - or at least different - next time.

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