What exactly is “dearworthy,” and how could it possibly pertain to cats? You might want to grab a cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa and settle in with a kitty before reading on. To start with, the word “dearworthy,” was the subject of a discussion intended to be a distraction after the loss of a treasured feline family member. A particularly dearworthy young adult had an assignment to choose one word used by the anchorite Julian of Norwich in her Revelations of Divine Love and to write a one thousand word essay about that singular word.
According to Wiktionary this particular word is archaic (a fancy way of saying it’s oldie timey Middle English) and means, “Dearly loved; honourable; highly valued.” In other words, “dearworthy” is a word that means the sum total of its parts. Where cats are concerned, “dearworthy” is a precise and concise description of the entire population, purpose, and function of Tabby’s Place: A Cat Sanctuary.
The cats at Tabby’s Place are all dear in the sense of being truly, deeply cherished. And, each cat is worthy of that cherishment, as well as of the time, energy, and, bluntly, funds that ensure that every cat has every need met to provide each precious one with the best life possible. These expenditures are guaranteed until the moment that “goodbye” is uttered, hopefully with a wave and congratulations following an adoption. Because the core aim at Tabby’s Place is to save cats from hopeless situations, too often, so very often, “goodbye” is uttered in a flood of heartbroken tears. With each loss, the ultimate, heavy cost reverberates through the building and through each of us. So, why do we keep doing it?
We continue because the cats need us (and we need them too). The bargain that we make with these amazing animals is, ultimately, worth the price of short-term, searing pain of loss. It’s worth it for the incalculable amounts of love and affection (or tolerance) that we share with them. It is worth it for the lifetimes of memories of shared joys, not to mention some terrific stories, pictures, and videos that keep our hearts full.
Boobalah, in particular, wants you to know that we are as dearworthy to the cats as they are to us. Laps and feedings are especially appreciated in her particular case…oh, and also those tunnel beds that provide hiding places from rambunctious roommates and bladder-squeezing humans. Bounding around the lobby, Farva seconds what Boobalah said. No wait, Farva was confused. He thought we were talking about second breakfast, and wait, what’s that? A ball? (Farva’s uniquely Farva-l attention span is one of the many reasons this young, active, charmer is so very dearworthy himself.)
In Quinn’s Corner, in the original suites, in the office, and through the halls, Tabby’s Place bustles with activities that provide Boobalah, Farva, and all of their fellow felines with everything humanly possible to make their situations hopeful and happy. Each cat is inexpressibly dear. All of them are worthy of that term of endearment (See how “dear” is hugged in the middle of that word?). In other words, everything about Tabby’s Place and everyone involved – including you! – is deeply, cherishably, forever dearworthy.