A Door Closes: The latest news on the volunteer job front is a bit unsettling. The Complete Cat Clinic, a veterinary practice which specializes in the care and breeding of our feline friends, is a small and cozy operation. Dr. Sharon Eisen, the owner and friend, welcomed our daughter’s services over the last few years during her school breaks, and again this summer. However, the intern who has recently overseen our daughter’s work will be leaving mid-September to return to school. Alas, our daughter is out of a job simultaneously, with no immediate replacement in sight, at least in the animal world. I was hoping that somehow the ABD vocational person could step in to oversee our daughter at the clinic. But that was naive of me. Obviously they need “their employee or intern” trained in the required tasks to work with our daughter. At least, I guess so. I may check this out further but that was the implication from the ABD staff.

Still Waiting For The Elderly: She does have the senior residence that hopefully will be activated by next week, assuming she passes the clearance, and there will be a kitty there. We are also awaiting the renovation of the animal shelter in her town to open up its doors to volunteers sometime this fall.

Do I Need To Hustle? The question I pose is, “How much do I need to do here?” Placement in an animal care setting is the number one job priority for our daughter. Which means that I cannot comfortably leave this challenge in the hands of staff alone, or does it? I suppose not. I will begin to make a call or a visit and see if I can jump-start the process.

The Personal Always Adds A Bite: That little bit of extra passion, which only personal investment seems to bring, does make a difference. Doesn’t it? If the mom calls or visits the animal shelter on behalf of her daughter, in addition to staff, does that facilitate the process? History shows me that it does facilitate most processes. On the other hand, taking a back seat sometimes works, thankfully. I have seen stuff fall into place without my imprint on it. And though I sound exceedingly grandiose, I actually am not. I don’t think I make the difference. Sadly, I know that I do…which is a bit different and means that when I do take a passive role in my daughter’s life, it is with some risk as well as relief.  (If you are reading this post, likely you face this dilemma as well; when to push yourself into the process, or stand back and see what others do. If you have a moment, share some of your experiences. These are tough calls for all of us.)

Fingers Crossed: We shall see how the vocational piece unfolds. Our daughter will spend her many years surrounded by four-legged friends for whom she provides expert care and receives a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. That is the goal. And then, what piece is my role?

©Jill Edelman, M.S.W., L.C.S.W. 2011