Saints or Sinners??

While to many, our day to day Peanut Pet Shelter life would seem a sometimes harsh way to live - few personal possessions (even fewer since the robbery!), little or no personal space and a 24/7 round of cleaning, feeding, watering and medicating. However, no-one forced this lifestyle on us. This was a choice. A very personal choice. A choice to follow our hearts. A nightmare for some (and in all honesty, very often for us) but basically we are lucky enough to be following our dream. Few get the chance, many more never form a concrete idea of exactly what their dream is.

Peanut Pet Shelter has given us the opportunity to meet many, many people from all walks of life and many different countries, all with one thing in common. Their love of animals. These people enrich our lives and yet, under other circumstances, perhaps following an altogether different dream, our paths would never have crossed.

These wonderful people are so kind, so generous with their compliments -'What saints you are! What angels for the work you do!', we so often hear. Take a look....see Andy's blushes....see my downcast eyes....how delightfully self-effacingly humble we are....but no, it's not that. What they don't know is - we have a secret.

There are others that don't like us. That's ok, after all, they don't really know us and let's face it, no-one likes everyone. They don't like the work that we do. That's ok too. We're fine with that. They seek to bring the shelter down, with a whisper here and a malicious comment there....an oh so subtle, twisting of the truth....and all in the name of love....of animals (they claim).

They seek to persuade that the saints are really sinners!! But we don't mind, because you see we have a secret.

Do you want to know our secret? Do you? Come closer then and let me whisper in your ear....because you see....our secret is...that actually....we are....ordinary. Just that. No more, no less.

Neither saints nor sinners but perhaps something in between. Our secret is....we are just like you.

What of the rest of the Peanut Pet Shelter team? Those sturdy souls that stand shoulder to shoulder with us through good times and bad. Whose true and honest love for both animals and humans shines forth for all to see....all deliciously, delightfully....ordinary. (Please note at this point that I do not use the word 'normal'. This is because I have just the tiniest suspicion that a streak of insanity runs through all us PPS folk).

There are those who love to be called 'Angel' and revel in their 'sainthood'. We hope it brings them happiness. It's not for us however, for the higher you climb, the thinner the air and the colder it becomes. I have a feeling the summit would prove to be a very chilly and lonely place indeed.

Far better we feel, to bask in the warmth and sunshine provided by you other wonderfully, kind, loving, ordinary folks, who are just like us. Doing the best you can with the resources you have.

Neither saint nor sinner but a follower of dreams.