luna & dobby: maybes and nows

There once was a morning walk through a ger district, my mind full of early morning dust and jumbled thoughts.

I reached the top of the hill and took in the mountains, the sprawling gers climbing up the peaks and into the low, dusty clouds. This, this is my familiar space. This, this place stretching out before me? It is a comfort to the aches of the unknown and the questions that don't have answers, much as I might want there to be straight lines instead of empty blanks.

The tiny crying comes from the overgrown weeds to my right and I peer into the messy brush to see a teeny, little kitten crawling out from beneath them- her little mouth open wide as she fusses.

I'll admit I didn't think, just scooped her up and held her as she hooked her claws into my scarf and climbed her way up my chest to nestle her head into my neck. I tried to call Holli, tried to ask her what in the world I should do with this kitten clinging to me and crying and so very, very small.

She came with me to church, her presence discovered by the rest of the staff in the warmth of the kitchen, her little legs wobbly as she explored and cried and drank some milk. We found a soft hat and tucked her inside, a makeshift bed that she slept the day away in.

Little ones ran away startled when she opened her mouth to protest her interrupted sleep. Adults professed her cuteness and stroked her little nose. And Holli didn't hesitate one bit in saying, "BRING HER HOME."

And now? The kitten has a name-Luna Lovegood to be exact. Dobby has gotten over being momentarily ticked about this new invasion of her space. Luna has taken to sleeping curled up in front of the space heater. And the two of them have been having way too much fun playing with each other, chasing after one another and sharing their food.

Dobby is about 52 times bigger than Luna but she is mostly kind to her little sister. Luna cries to tell her to back off and she has an adorable habit of doing her best attempt at a fierce pounce whenever they play.

It was a morning walk full of thinking about the what-ifs and maybe-so's and oh-my-goodness-when-will-I-ever-knows that was interrupted by a tiny, unexpected ball of fur. A ball of fur that could easily have ended in a disaster when our definitely not tiny, definitely not particularly friendly cat sniffed her little self. A ball of fur that pulled me back into the present, into the daily life of tiny paws and snuggly noses and baby eyes.

thanks, Luna.