I want to tell you what I've learned from caring for small, sick, unwanted baby kittens like Karen because even though she only lived for a very little while, she mattered so much. She and the other tiny kittens mattered and I want you to know why

I've learned the value of providing comfort & safety even if it's not enough to save a life. Comfort, love, security--those things are so important, even in the most hopeless cases. Doing what you can to provide warmth & care is so important, even if it's only for a little while

I've learned that sometimes--more often than we like, unfortunately--the eventual fate of a tiny life is completely out of our hands. Sometimes you can do everything right, utilize every resource, fight as hard as you can and still--the kitten dies.

Sometimes nothing is enough

I've learned there is courage in the struggle but there is also courage in knowing when to stop struggling. There is courage in facing an ending, in going to sleep. And there is courage in loving despite that ending, that sleep. There is courage in knowing your heart will break

But loving anyway

I've learned even the smallest, weakest being deserves dignity in living and in dying and if you can do nothing else, protecting that dignity is so, so necessary and it's worth the pain of loss

I've learned every single tiny heart is a whole entire world in and of itself, not because of what it might one day become but because of what it already is

I've learned there is no hardening yourself against pain or grief; that it never gets easier; that you gotta resist the urge to give into self-blame/self-loathing; that so much is out of your control

I've learned that hope is a fierce, dangerous, sharp-toothed thing and sometimes, hope is a liar. Have hope--you need it--but don't let it be all you have. Have pragmatism, have acceptance, have a willingness to accept sometimes hope is selfish

I've learned you can't save them all; there's always so much more suffering in the world than you can ever hope to mitigate but. I've learned you can never do enough no matter how hard you try

But I've also learned to keep trying

I couldn't give them a long life but I hope I gave them a good life

You can help me help cats <3 https://twitter.com/ellle_em/status/1309999500992405504?s=20