LOLA
GOES TO ARKANSAS
Welcome
to the fourth installment of Life Lessons from Lola, a series about an adorable kitten who’s stolen lots of hearts in her journey home to Terry and me. Monday I
told you how I happened to be in Atlanta and meet Lola. Today I’m sharing the real reason I brought her
home.
Time and miles fly by in the company of a friend. Before we knew it,
Ginger and I were at Maria’s where we parted company when Jill picked her up.
Friday
Friday morning, I baked that birthday cake, a quadruple chocolate
standby we’ve loved for years. It’s amazing what pudding mix, extra eggs, a
handful of chocolate chips and a fudge glaze can do for a regular Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake Mix.
Around noon, I drove from Norcross to Mid-Town Atlanta to see Brady. (Just getting there was a blog-able
experience in itself—thank God for GPS.)
Lunch Confessions
 |
Guess which one's
the reluctant model? |
It was something Brady said over lunch that made me consider taking Lola home
with me. You take notice when your grandchild confides that something makes him
feel like a bad human being. Brady works from
Can-to-Can’t and basically comes home to eat and sleep. He was already concerned, and when his landlord
complained about hearing Lola cry when he passed in the hall, he felt terrible.
Well Hello Lola
At my suggestion, we dropped by his apartment so I could meet that little showgirl. Folks, that’s what Lola is. She’s irrepressible.
And you know what I
thought: Maybe I should find her a good home in Arkansas. He doesn’t even have
time to do that.
Saturday
Once back at Maria’s, the conversation centered on Lola and whether
I should rescue both Brady and her by taking her home. We don’t make those
kinds of decisions at our house without talking about them. I needed to call Terry.
I could hear the hesitation in his voice when I called home to tell
him what I was thinking. He could already read the handwriting on the
wall. But he's an amazing man.
Here's part of our conversation.
Terry: I thought we weren't going to get any more
cats.
Me: I'll find her a home, but
I think I need to bring her.
Terry: Do what you
need to do.
Is That a Sign?
 |
My favorite son-in-law
Another Good Man! |
Brad Day, Emily’s dad, was all over the idea of Lola going
home with Gran. On the way out to Maria’s
birthday dinner, we swung by Goodwill to look for something to carry her in.
We were looking for something we could make do with. I couldn't believe my eyes when I rounded a corner and spied a real CAT CARRIER.
Brad grabbed it
and I picked up a Care Bear quilt to pad it. We started toward the register. But first, I needed to text Brady to be sure he wanted to do this.
Me: We’re at Goodwill looking for something to carry Lola in. Do you want to let her go?
Brady: Let her go? It would
probably be better for her.
Me: Want U 2 b sure
Brady: Well, I don’t really want
to, but this is borderline cruelty
Me: Ok
We headed for the check-out where Brad insisted on paying. And I let him.
Birthday Meet Up
 |
| His eyes tell the story |
After meeting Brady for a fun birthday dinner, we took him home and
picked up Lola.
It was heart-wrenching to see Brady's expression when he looked at Lola through the car window. As we drove away, Brad noted that he sure looked sad.
The truth was we all felt sad about Brady returning to his empty apartment.
I might have wiped away a few tears on the drive home.
Thought for the Day: Sometimes doing the right thing is painful, but living with the guilt
and consequences of rocking along as usual is worse.
Once again, I was proud of a grandchild’s mature decision.
Whoever pursues righteous
and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor.
Proverbs 21:21
Next time: Lola: Born to Travel
Copyright © Reflections from Dorothy's Ridge 2014. All rights reserved
Labels: Birthdays, Cat Rescues, Difficult Decisions, Grandchildren
Ginger and I spent a delightful morning at the Church4Chicks conference. We
even met a famous cow.