cattyann

Gifts, are way too overrated. In a moment, that I was saving for myself, to wade knee deep in pity, I laughed. My loving son, 14, yet my baby, advised me, he had “found” my Christmas gift.
By found, he meant, in his bed. I dared not ask, why, it was in his bed, it just was. My youngest, cannot keep a secret, especially at Christmas. He advised it was a watch. Not just any old watch, but a Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck watch. He also advised it had some “flaws”. First, it didn’t work. Second, it had a scratch on the back. Other than all of this, it was great, and wasn’t I glad, he had found it?
Yes…….yes I was. In all its simple, little glory, I was glad he “found” it. He didn’t have any money to buy something, and it was something he felt I would care for.
More to the point, he knew I would love it, there was no doubt or question. If life could just be so simple. Knowing that you could make someone so happy just by thinking of them. Realizing it is Christmas and all that goes with it, can be mind boggling. Making the never ending lists of things to buy, things that really don’t matter and will be forgotten with the newest thing that comes out, that replaces the old thing you just bought. The gifts that people may not want because the “thought” wasn’t in it to begin with.
While trying to wade in self pity about bills, money and never enough time, I am greeted by my son and his gift idea for me. Life seemed a litte more clear, and I found a new importance in life that I couldn’t see before.
It brought tears to my eyes and a laugh to my heart, as he told of his newfound gift. You would have thought it was worth a million dollars. To me…….it is.

Yes, our family dog nearly died. Still, to this day, we do not know why. I do know this, it cost nearly $700.00 to find out nothing. Perhaps, we are naive to the fact of how the animal “medical” field works. For those out there, I truly do appreciate you are there, but I want to say one thing. Just because you see someone in horrid grief over their pet, please do not take advantage of the situation.
We were. Our precious animal had gotten 3 ex-rays, a blood test and oxygen, that brought our bill to $545.00. We were charged for someone helping my husband carry in our pet, which said “needed to be restrainted”. Our dog, was “lifeless”, unmoving, didn’t budge and my husband and one vet tech, carried her in. The charge, a wopping 35.00. We were given an antibotic, gas pills and pepcids.
We obtained an “instore account” for the serivices, as we had not the money for this. At the time, of 3 ex-rays, a blood test, and oxygen, our bill, $545.00. When we advised we could not pay “anymore”. They told us our cap on the account was $700.00. It was at this great juncture, they made sure they rounded our bill from 545.00 to, you guessed it, $700.00.
After we got home, nursed our dog back to health, and regained some composure, I looked up the costs of the antibotic, gas pill and pepcids. The total? $17.49 for the three things combined. We were charged $155.00.
This just isn’t right. Because someone is in the state of shock over possibly losing a family pet, Ka-ching, ka-ching, there goes the cash register. I advised the vet at the beginning, I had around $30.00 to pay at that very moment, the night before Thanksgiving. My advice by the vet, well….okay, I’ll put her down for $30.00. I am sorry, but what is wrong with this picture. They wouldn’t let me see what they were doing or NOT doing to my pet. Now I know why. Seriously, I know no more now what happened to her, than I did then. I was told, we don’t know what’s wrong.
Never, I am sorry, we can’t tell you what’s wrong, so we aren’t charging you an arm and a leg. I mean, nothing. Why do people feel the need to take advantage of a situation just because they can, and they know you are vunerable? I could say, what goes around comes around, but I am not sure that day ever comes for those who have taken advantage of us. Somehow, I feel, it won’t stop, at least, not anytime soon. If anyone has the answers to why, please clue me in, because I don’t want this happening to someone else.

Sometimes, it is hard to remember what exactly is important. It seems especially this time of year. I wrote about this before, but things keep hitting me square in the face, reminders. Hard times, they keep coming around, bills due, no money, laid off. What is a person to do? Depression seems to run rampant during this time of year.
A man that comes to where I work as a server, hands me 20.00 every so often. I had been laid off for a week, hours cut back. He now has pancreatic cancer. This man would do anything for anybody.
Why him? Just when you think you have it bad, someone has it worse. I see people come in all time and eat by themselves, they seem lonely. Some, I know have no one. There are times I see them seek someone out to talk to, anyone, but some, turn their back on them, too busy it seems. I have even been guilty of that.
Holidays are too commerical. No one no the reason they actually celebrate it anymore. This is truly sad. The news came on and told of horrible car wrecks in our area, 7 deaths, people who thought they would be here for Christmas, lifes altered forever.
Are we really THAT busy, we can’t take time for no another anymore? It seems we are too busy. What happens when we need that compassion and caring moment from a stranger, or even a friend?
I wonder, will it be there? The man I spoke of, said he didn’t tell me of his cancer, because he thought I had too many other problems going on. He didn’t want to bother me. Importance, what really is it? Do we really have an accurate definition of it? Somehow, I don’t think we do.

I work as a server. Things are been pretty slow, and to be honest, hard times. Who isn’t having it rough, right? Well, Christmas is just around the corner and there seems to be more bills than money, and nowhere to turn.

I write this because I feel I have been selfish. It begins with man that comes in all the time with this wife and granddaughter and I use to wait on them. When it got slow serving, the boss moved me to cashier so many days of the week to try to make up for the loss.

When this man saw that I was no longer on the floor as much, he felt for me. It isn’t as much cashiering as I made serving and he knew this. Every Monday, I would cashier,he would come in, and another server would wait on him. Faithfully, he would come up and take my hand and slip me a 20.00 bill. During all this time, I have been grateful, but I thnk, came to expect it.

Well, I hadn’t seen him in 2 weeks, I wonder where he was. Monday, he and his family came in. As soon as I saw him I knew. People with cancer, have that look. My father, brothers and good friends, I have lost to pancreatic cancer. His wife confirmed he had cancer, pancreatic. At that moment, I cried. A flood of emotion swept over me, I cannot describe.

How, why? This man has the heart of gold. She told me, he didn’t want me to know, they had known for two months. For those two months, he had been given me money. I would gladly give it all back for his health. I don’t want his money, I want him to be whole. To be here for Christmas, and to see him smile the way he always did.

I remember the meaning of Christmas, much more now than I did this year. I don’t have it rough. Tears come too easy right now, just at the mere thought of what they are enduring. Hug someone that is close, thank someone who has done something nice. They may not be around as long as you think they will. Tomorrow may never come for anyone. It is not promised. Just give thanks.

Christmas, it’s here already? is it me? Or does it seem to be just a little harder each year when Christmas rolls around. Not just the economics of the world, but the whole feeling of Christmas. It seems that people, myself included have perhaps, forgotten the meaning of Christmas. With each passing year, new technology has brought with it, more expensive gifts to chose from,with less money, these gifts are harder to obtain. Christmas should be about something much more than gifts.

I know the reason for the season in my heart, but I seem to have forgotten the little things that use to seem important. When my children were small, we would gather their old toys and take them to a shelter. We would offer the gift of ourselves, to help hand out meals to the homeless. Although, all my immediate family is gone, and I miss them, Christmas, and what is stands for, has seemed to escape me. My children are older, teens and a 20 year old, so the surprise and excitement isn’t there like it use to be.

My point…… remember others, those less fortunate. I read recently of a couple who hung out Christmas decorations two days ago and found them both dead yesterday. It seems the man killed her and then himself. It has been said from those near, they didn’t see it coming. They never knew there was a problem. People are in need, each and every day. As the holidays grow close, it is most hard on some. Please, if you are blessed this year with health, family, and even a tinge of happiness, there are some that are not. Seeing people in need and reaching out, maybe just saying hi, how are you, may be all they need to get through the holidays. A kind word and good deed, truly do go a long way. May everyone have a great Christmas, if your blessed……Pass it forward.

Perhaps you can relate.   Recently the our family pet, Katie Ann had almost died.  The night before Thanksgiving,  she collapsed.  She is a very important part of our family, canine or not, she always will be.  Which is why, I believe, we were taken advantage of by people who “saw us coming”.   

We had been getting ready to take this member of our family for a car ride, she being most excited, was eagerly waiting by the door.  When suddenly  she laid down, closed her eyes and began to die.  By all counts, she was gone, labored breathing, soiling herself, drooling, all with her eyes closed, unresponsive.  We called the local animal hospital and proceeded to take her in.  Once there, my husband got a gurney and he and an attendant carried her in.  This is a very important fact in this story, as later, we were charged for having  someone help carry her in.  The staff upon seeing our plight whisked her in a room and asked us to please stay in the lobby, while they “assessed the stuation.   Distraught and crying, we waited.  OUr poor dog, as I said was unresponsive.  They came back out and advised for $545.00 they would check her blood and take an x-ray, they believed she may have been poisoned, but didn’t know.  All this after I advised I only had 30.00 and couldn’t afford a large bill.  This is the part for which I am truly upset.   The blood tests would not tell us whether or not she had been poisoned, that would be extra.  They had not done anything but give our dog oxygen, no fluids, nothing.  The vet came out and said he could set up an account, if approved, then would proceed, or could put my dog to sleep for the $30.00 I had left.

I am sorry for those who are in this field, but please do not take advantage of an already horrid situation.  Upon agreeing to this, my bill was $545.00, the vet could not tell me anything more than before the treatment, which was one x-ray, a and a blood test.  He then told us the max on the credit would be $700.00.  As I said before, we were at $545.00, with a $40.00 charge for someone to help my husband carry her in, (it stated, “for restraining  her) she was not moving.  The vet also advised he would give her a gas pill, an antibotic and pepcids, even though, he could not tell me what was wrong.  In my despair, they bucked my bill for the pills right on up to 700.00 exactly..  I am still in shock and am unsure as to what we will do.  All I know is….they seem to take advantage of an already horrible situation.  They knew they had us up against the wall.  I know no more now, than I did then what was wrong with my dog.  It has to change and I for one, am going to see that it does.