We often hear inspiring stories about those who overcome their disabilities - and the fact that we all have disabilities to overcome. The thought that what some consider disabilities others would consider blessings is also somewhat cliche.
Yet, those thoughts spring to my mind right now as I watch the cardinal who just lighted in the tree outside our kitchen window. His bright red coloring creates a striking picture on the bare leafless branches of the tree, against the backdrop of the white barn and stark snow that currently envelops the landscape. Such a pity for the other birds- plain brown sparrows- which sit quietly in the same tree, unable to match the audacious aura of their neighbor. But, their unobtrusive display may in fact be their blessing as opposed to their disability, for it is the flashy cardinal that is currently attracting the attention of our cats.
It reminds me of a cat we once had; a stray that showed up on our farm and instead of migrating on as silently as she appeared in the normal manner of the stray, she remained with us for the rest of her days. A nondescript yellow tabby she did have one distinct characteristic: In a past injury she had sustained a clean break of the ulna and radius bones in her left forelimb. They had healed by the time she came to us and caused her no pain, but as they were never set back to normal before healing, the bottom third of her leg hung limp and useless. I really think she was unaware of her disability. She would run and hunt just like any other cat, with her ineffective paw flapping around like a helicopter propeller as she bounded across the yard.
We also quickly quit noticing her infirmity. The only reminder was her name, coined by my father-in-law: Olympia. That would be pronounced o-LIMP-ia.
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