Sunday, June 3, 2012

Switched

For those of you who read my cat blog, you already know about the kitten switcheroo of 2012. Hubby had wanted another girl. So I had looked for a female kitten. We found Quill and were busy falling in love with our new little girl. We took her to the vet a week and a half later, and after a thorough groping by the vet, we had ourselves a boy instead.

Dude looked like a lady.

I don't even know why exactly, but it was such a shock to me. I think I was afraid in the moment the vet announced the misunderstanding, that hubby would not accept Quill. My fear could not have been farther from the truth, and I knew that too. Hubby embraced his new boy without a backwards glance. Hubby has an amazing gift - once he welcomes you into his heart - that is where you stay - no matter what.

I think I also feared in that moment that maybe I had chosen the wrong kitten. I had worked myself into such a frenzy about choosing the right kitten. One we would love, and you would love too. If I missed a sign as clear (or unclear) in this case as the sex, what other signs did I miss? Suddenly everything I thought about her, now him, was turned around. The girly blog I had planned, the point of view I imagined, were all changed now.

Watching him purring safely on my arm when we got home I had a revelation. I realized the switch was a gift. One I would never have thought to ask for, but was exactly what I needed. Suddenly I had no comparisons to Fin. I was free to fully love this boy for everything he is. In a case of nothing is a coincidence, I had spent the week blogging about how much I loved my first boy Eugene. Now I had a new boy to love, and love him I do.

This little boy had sneaked by all my defenses, and pounced straight into my heart. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you don't always get what you want, but you get what you need, and it turns it's what you wanted all along.

Did you need to use this keyboard?