One of those mysteries . . .

So things are going along swimmingly between _________ and I. Then she shows up a couple of weekends ago with all sorts of attitude. She didn't like the way I was taking care of my cat. She asked me to find homes for some tomato plants grown from seed by one of her friends. Ok (not sure why I was chosen for this task). But then she didn't like the sign I made (Free Tomato Plants). She asked if she couldn't keep the sign she made. Sure, said I. I just put both signs on them.

Then I found some people to take the plants and she came up to me and wanted to emphasis that these plants had been grown from seed.

Jeez. These were very special plants. I just suck at giving out special tomato plants. Always have.

Our little fledgling friendship seems to have taken a dive.

First of all, she has major issues with cats. She doesn't think anyone takes care of animals as well as she does. In fact, she recently had to go on a trip and was faced with leaving her very sick, dying cat in the care of someone who didn't measure up to her standards (he would have done fine, I'm sure). Her solution? She euthanized the animal. She would rather the animal be dead than be taken care of by anyone else.

This isn't any comment on euthanization, one way or another. It's just to point out some very hard opinion in her. Dead cat is preferred over a cat being taken care of by someone else.

So now there is pain, this sadness in the air.

I have to go back to the touchstone--to the realization that there's no need to hate mistakes or the people who make them. I also don't have to hate people who hate me. She and I, we're not going to be friends. I can see it isn't going to work out in that way. But I can love her and let things come and go between us in a gentle way. No demands, no expectation, just bright acceptance and awareness of what is real and what is not.