Mabel Made This Family
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats
By Jessica Parkinson

When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive — I'll find love again.
~Paulo Coelho, The Zahir

Before Mabel, there was just me. I was thirty years old and single. The long-term relationship I had invested all my energy in for the last five years had broken down. My heart had a big crack in it, not entirely broken, but not in perfect working order, not capable of real trust. I felt cold on the inside, so I went to warm clubs and danced with sweaty people. I was lonely and sought company.

In this manner, I ended up with a heart that was not only still cracked but also tired. It was tiring to try to connect with people when I was trying to protect myself at the same time. If I went on a date with a handsome young man and he asked me reasonable questions about myself and my life, I would come up with evasive answers. I would hear myself trying not to let him know me. When, after two or three meetings of this nature, he didn't call again, I would sink into a new layer of my old sadness. (Keep reading)