Do unto others...

We've all heard the expression - do unto others as you would have done unto you.

Both in rescue and in my day-to-day work life, I try to live by that phrase, as I'm sure many of us aspire to, but sometimes there are those that we come across who don't necessarily share that philosophy.

At my office, one coworker is happily awaiting the birth of his first child, a daughter. He came in today with an adorable jogging outfit he had bought after a client meeting, excitedly showing it off. Meanwhile, another coworker who has been caring for his ailing father is now facing the imminent end, his father's death only days, possibly hours away. One filled with excitement for the future, one preparing to mourn his past.


And then there's that other one. The other coworker, the one who complained and moaned for months over a promotion they felt they deserved. Now that the promotion has been achieved, no one is safe from this new-found superiority complex. Forget civility or respect. The promotion should have been to 'Manager of Rudeness.'

This is the atmosphere I work in. Just doors away from mine are two people at the polar opposites of human emotions. And we all feel the joy and sadness for both. Well, not 'all' of us. As we struggle to express our compassion for one while planning a celebration for the other, this third coworker is seemingly blind to what is happening? If this person were aware, would they react to situations with more empathy?  You know, do unto others as you would have done unto you remembering that we are not psychics and we don't know what the person on the other end is going through.

How does this relate to the opening of this post? To cat rescue? I need to keep in mind that before I judge others who give up their cats or dogs, before I say something in the heat of the moment, I should take a step back and think about what the person on the other end might be feeling. I don't know what anyone who is reading this is going through personally, but that doesn't change the fact that if one of you were to reach out and need help with your diabetic kitty, I would do what I could to help.  I would do my best and try to remember that we all face difficulties from time to time and there's no way to know what another person's life situation is.