No Good Deed
Lessons from a life in rescue…
Friends,
Surely you have heard of the saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
It is a go to phrase that my honey loves to say every time we find ourselves with more work to do after trying to help someone or take something on.
I had never told him that I hate that saying.
The energy of it, the sentiment behind it.
I mean, if you really believe that, then you wouldn’t do good, and soon there would be NO GOOD DEEDS in the world.
(I even looked up the origin of the phrase, and while it is a variation of several proverbs from the Bible, it is also often attributed to Clare Boothe Luce, Noel Coward, and Oscar Wilde.)
Several weeks ago, we began looking for a kitten to adopt. My daughter and Eric both felt that it was time to welcome a new cat into the family since losing Jasper in May.
A quick search of neighboring shelters and I somehow was given the opportunity to temporarily house two kittens taken in from a feral colony.
Thus began my foray into cat fostering.
Sick and tiny, we medicated and socialized them until they were ready to move on and be up for adoption.
What I did not know, was that one or both of them had ringworm, a highly contagious fungal infection that is transmissible to humans.
You can imagine the rest of the story.
A week later, covered in itchy red spots, a trip to the ER, and medicine for the next month. My daughters got it too.
It would be easy for me to adopt the “no good deed” creed.
That is not how I want to live my life.
That is not the example I wish to show my children.
That is not the legacy I want to leave.
I much prefer the “Do Good Anyway.” poem attributed to Mother Theresa and the original Paradoxical Commandments of Keith M. Kent.
And so, no longer contagious, spots fading, and resolve intact, we welcomed two 10 week old foster puppies on Saturday.
I leave you with the version of that poem found written on the wall in Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta:
May you be the giver and the recipient of many good deeds this week.
With so much love,
Kari
1. The version found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.