Those of us, who have devoted years of our lives to rescuing animals,
we can tell you how incredibly rewarding it can be.
At the same time... it's also so heartbreaking...
The truth is...
You see a lot of things... you never thought you'd see.
You witness a level of cruelty... you didn't think was possible.
You feel a degree of helplessness... you never thought you'd know.
You stare at painful images... soon burned into your memory... that will haunt your thoughts forever.
You try to pick up the pieces... so many pieces... of the damage you didn't do.
You do everything in your power... but even still... you will never reach them all.
You will try to stay strong... but you will mostly feel weak.
You will build walls to protect your heart... but they'll never keep you safe.
You will place barriers around your soul... but the pain will always reach you.
And no matter how hard you try to fight it... over time... here's the truth about what happens in animal rescue...
The neglect changes you.
The abuse hardens you.
The suffering breaks you.
The ignorance angers you.
The indifference disturbs you.
The injustice destroys you.
On a daily basis... your faith will be tested.
Your heart will be wounded.
Your soul will be altered.
On a weekly basis... you will question yourself.
You will question your strength.
You will question the world.
On a monthly basis... you will fall down.
You will get up.
You will go on.
On a yearly basis... you will look back...
You will see the faces...
You couldn't save them.
You will learn to mourn...
To grieve...
To sob.
You will learn to trust a little less.
To do a little more.
To fight, a little harder.
You will learn to try...
To hope...
To pray.
You will learn to fail...
To succeed...
To accept.
You will learn when to hold on...
When to give up...
When to let go.
You will learn who you are...
What you stand for...
Why that matters.
Then... at times... you will forget why you matter.
You will question what you're doing.
You will wonder if it's worth it.
But... here's the good news...
When you forget...
When you question...
When you wonder...
All you have to do...
Is take a look around...
And you will see them.
You will see their faces.
You will see their smiles.
You will feel their love.
In their eyes, you will see their journeys.
You will remember their beginnings.
You will know how far they've come.
You will remember when they didn't know you...
When they didn't trust you...
When they had given up.
You will remember how you healed them...
How you loved them...
How they loved you, too.
And as you look back...
You will want to move forward...
For them... and because of them.
In your darkest hours, you will look around...
To find the differences made... the hope given... and the lives saved...
Because you existed.
In those moments, when you look into their eyes...
Every doubt will be erased...
Every question will be answered...
Every worry will subside.
Because in that instant... in each of your hearts...
You both share the very same thought:
"Every bit of pain was worth it... for this moment here with you.".
And honestly... no matter what else happens...
Those moments hold all the strength you need... To keep going.
Rescue is pain.
Rescue is joy.
Rescue is worth it... because they are worth it.
And that's the honest truth.
Author Unknown