My fence has been hanging over me, not physically but psychologically. It surrounds half of the little plot of land that my house sits on. It is tired and worn and it needs my attention. The reason it has my attention right now is that I want to give my Abby cat a safe place to be outdoors. She is having a hard time confining her energy inside the small space of my house. The problem is that all of the remedies for cat-proofing a fence require an actual functioning fence to begin with. There is a part of me that thinks I need to do it myself. Why do I even think that a 74-year-old little old lady with cats needs to be an expert on fences? I am not that guy on PBS who remodels old houses. I don’t need to get out there and dig the post holes myself. Unfortunately just the thought of trying to find someone to replace my fence makes me feel paralyzed with anxiety. Finally, after spending weeks trying to figure out what I could do, I called my reliable handy man, even though he said he doesn’t do fences. It turns out he does REPAIR fences he just doesn’t build them. There is a glimmer of hope. He can figure out how to keep Abby from escaping. He can determine how much of the fence is OK and what needs to be replaced. He can order materials and replace posts and do all the stuff that overwhelms me. Hopefully I can turn it all over to him. Oh yes, that turning it over thing. My fence is reminding me that I am not Superwoman. I don’t have to try to do everything by myself. I need to be willing to reach out and get help and trust that, as with all things in life that I find overwhelming, there is a solution beyond what I am capable of imagining. That’s where turning it over comes in. There is a God and it’s not me.
1 Comment
diane langlee
4/26/2022 01:13:52 pm
So did the fence get cat proofed? Reaching out for expert help is a good avenus especially when you know the expert. Keep writing. Diane
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Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
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