By Jeanette M. Pintar - with inspiration from Misty

Once Misty overcame her fear of humans, she was very affectionate, she loved to sit in my lap or nuzzle her entire head into the palm of my hand. Provided she wasn't mad at me. Cats might not speak English, but Misty made it clear when she was upset. She'd move two - three feet away from me (just out of my reach) and then plunk herself down, purposely sitting with her back to me. Occasionally, she'd look over her shoulder and give a disgruntled, "Mruh!" (The feline equivalent of "Humph!") Should I attempt to move closer to pet Misty, she'd wait until my hand was within one to two inches of petting her, then get up and walk away another two - three feet, and sit down with her back to me again! Usually this process was repeated approximately three times within a five minute interval, and then as they say, the third time's a charm. Misty would completely forgive me, once again purring and placing her entire head - and heart - in the palm of my hand.

Misty learned to forgive first - and pretty quickly at that. Some things were very difficult for her to forget - like the trauma of a flea bath or riding in the car or a shot from the vet. But even though she was still fearful of those things, she put her love, trust, and faith in us first. That's a lesson that could help us all. Inevitably, no matter how much we love one another, we will either hurt someone we care about, or be hurt by someone who cares about us. When it happens, it's important not to get stuck in the hurtful actions and to do our best to put love before our fears.

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