Remember Me Thursday

As we're sure most of you already know, today is Remember Me Thursday. The Remember Me Thursday website explains this day with one poignant sentence: "Remember Me ThursdayⓇ is a global awareness campaign uniting individuals and pet adoption organizations around the world as an unstoppable, integrated voice for orphan pets to live in forever homes, not die waiting for them." Just like most of you, around here we are huge proponents of adopting kitties, pups, and other companion animals from shelters and rescues. That's why our post today is indeed centered on this significant topic.

We decided to find a way to incorporate our usual Thursday blog hop participation into our Remember Me Thursday post. We'll start with a poem for Remember Me Thursday. This poem of course coincides with the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, hosted by Angel Sammy.

As always, our poetic host shared a photo prompt to guide us. This week's prompt is this beautiful image here:

I already knew that, no matter what photo was chosen as this week's prompt, I was going to do my best to somehow make it contain a message in honor of all animals awaiting their forever homes. So, when I saw that image, I got to thinking. This time around, my thinking session led me to remember a headline I saw the other day regarding the show The Bachelor. Though I mean no offense to anyone who does enjoy this show or reality TV in general, I myself have no warm feelings for reality shows like The Bachelor. That is most definitely not my thing, but that's also most certainly beside the point. The headline I saw the other day indicated that on The Bachelor, the man seeking his one true love in a group of strange women apparently gives a rose to the one woman he ultimately chooses as his soulmate. I wanted to put a more meaningful twist on that, to the best of my ability, so I scribbled this up:

A Rose for Henry

Sarah's workday was long but rewarding.

Not a second of it was bland or remotely boring.
Sarah felt great purpose in her work every single day.

She helped those in need in her own inspiring way.

When Sarah returned home from work one crisp afternoon,
She found her roommate Emily watching television in the living room.
Emily was mesmerized by her most favorite show.
If Sarah was being honest, this show was no good, though.

The television show was deemed a reality about finding romance,
Starring a bunch of strangers who blindly dated and danced.
They all hoped one of the other strangers would be their true love.
They even gave a rose to their chosen one in a manner over the top and above.
Sarah thought it was all made worse that the whole event was televised.

She could not help but cringe and avert her eyes.

As Sarah tried to retreat to her room, though,
Emily wanted to discuss with her something on the show.
Sarah sighed and frowned as Emily showed her a fellow on the screen.
Emily said, "Isn't he just the man of every woman's dreams?"
Sarah's answer was a roll of her eyes and, "No."
Emily still kept on talking about the man, though.

"His name is Henry," Emily said with a clap.
"Isn't he just the most handsome chap?
Just look at his dreamy green eyes.
And that tuxedo he's wearing makes him look so wise."

"I know a Henry," Sarah said with a smile.
"He's been at my workplace for quite a while.
This Henry, he's also looking for the love of his life.
He even has a tuxedo and the most dreamy green eyes."

Emily clapped and smiled wider than wide.
She asked, "Oh, Sarah, will you please introduce me to this guy?"
"Sure thing," Sarah said and grabbed her coat.
"We can go meet him right now, so let's go."
From a vase on the kitchen counter Emily grabbed a red rose.
She said, "I want my Henry to have a rose, just like on the show."

They stopped outside Sarah's workplace while Emily fixed her hair like umber.
The building was built of stone and its sign read, ANIMAL SHELTER.
"What does Henry do here?" Emily asked.
"Does he play with the dogs and feed the cats?
Never mind, it doesn't matter.
I just hope that when he meets me he's flattered."

Sarah led the way inside when Emily was finally ready.
She knew exactly where she would find this boy Henry.
To a room full of cats they made their way.
The felines ran here and there as they played.

A big cat of black and white made his way over.
Emily looked this way and that and over her shoulder.
"Where's Henry?" she asked Sarah as she look around.
Sarah smiled and said, "That's him there on the ground."

The big cat of black and white looked up at Emily and said, "Meow!"
Emily looked from Sarah to the cat and asked, "Wait. What? How?"
Sarah said, "This Henry is better than any man on a television screen.
Thinking otherwise is really quite obscene."

At first Emily looked nothing if not confused.
Henry rubbed her leg, purred, and mewed.
In reply, Emily let out a smile and a laugh.
Then she reached down and gave Henry a pat.

Henry rubbed Emily's hand and even gave it a lick.
Perhaps that was the moment when everything clicked.
Emily scooped Henry the cat up in her arms.
Clearly she had fallen for his green eyes and charm.
Emily gifted Henry the rose she also still held in her arms.

That day, both Emily and Henry found their one true love.
The two fit each other like a perfect glove.
From that day on, Emily and Henry never left each other's side,
Sometimes even serving as perfect partners in crime.

***

Thimble is now of course going to share an unsurprising bit of gratitude on this Remember Me Thursday.

Thimble and all of the furbabies here are thankful for their forever home. I myself am just as grateful to have my furbabies in my life. We purr, woof, and pray every day that all homeless animals, and all those who have found their way to a shelter or rescue, will know the comfort of a forever home with a loving forever family.

***

Before we share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, we want to send our most heartfelt purrs, woofs, and prayers to co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing. Yesterday she helped her beloved Noel cross the Rainbow Bridge, and she remains in our thoughts.

Tomorrow's fill-in statements are below. Ellen came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I think it would be fun to _________.

2. I have a hankering for __________.

3. _________ is a memory I will never forget.

4. If I were given the choice to be immortal, I would _________.

We'll see your tomorrow, friends!

***

Did you know?

Did you know that the average cost per day of basic pet care is only an approximate $3? That's less than luxuries like fancy drinks from coffee shops.

Did you know that roughly 25% of shelter dogs are purebred? Breeders are not the only source of purebred animals, because both purebreds and amazing mixed breeds can be found at shelters.

Did you know that a vast majority of shelter animals are already spayed or neutered and up-to-date on certain vaccinations prior to adoption? That means you'll pay the adoption fee and thereafter won't need to schedule or pay the typical cost of a spay or neuter or certain vaccinations.

Did you know that animals can make our lives happier and healthier? Science has proven this on multiple occasions.

Some of the above facts are ones you animal lovers out there certainly already know, and some are ones we've already shared in the past. Now we need to spread the word. Shelter animals have so much to gift us. They are special and filled with love. Let's get them out of shelters and into homes.