Estimates are that millions of animals have died in the Australian fires. And you know me ~ give me an animal over a person any day ~ so I have been working on being hard about it, sighing and moving on, without letting myself care too much.
Until I heard this: A firefighter, named Mr. Tree, found a koala that had survived the horrific fires in Australia. Her paws were scorched and she wasn't doing so well. The firefighter gave her water. Although koalas are usually not overly friendly or approachable, she actually put her burned paw into his cold, wet hand for some relief and drank three bottles.
The koala was taken to an animal shelter, where she was named Sam, treated for her burns and dehydration ~ but not as much dehydration as she would've been had Mr. Tree hadn't found her. He was even able to come for a bit of a visit.
But my favorite part of the story is Bob. Bob is another scorched koala survivor of the fires. He and Sam have become quite the couple. The workers at the animal shelter say they have a "muchness" between them. This must be an Australian phrase but I really wish it was here in the States as well. In this case, it means they both appear to be about the same age, they have been through similar trauma, and they both have "that burned smell about them." I think that describes more of us than we'd probably care to admit. And yet these two wonderful critters are here, have found each other, and have a muchness between them, burned smell about them and all. Because isn't that what it's about, really? May we all be so lucky.
It's enough to soften even a Pobble's heart.
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
14 comments:
Dammit, Pobble, now you've gone and made me CRY AT WORK! Thank goodness I have an office, so my co-workers aren't alerted by my sobbing!
May we all be so lucky to share a muchness with another soul. :)
Wolfgrrrl ~ You're welcome. And if your coworkers should complain, bring 'em into your office and have them read Sam's story. I dare them not to understand.
What, it isn't enough to have little old me, sobbing at koalas?
You want to be personally responsible for the emotional meltdown of the entire marketing department?
Because, I promise you, the other writers and designers are just, if not more, softy-sentimental than me! Nothing will get promoted around here, today, if I share the koala story! S'true!
I wish you much muchness. This should be a holiday. Muchness day. We need another holiday. And more muchness.
Muchness. It's a beautiful thing. Lovely, my friend. Lovely.
I did see this story, and paid attention because I'm a sucker for Koala Bears and always wanted to have one hanging around my loft, which really isn't their natural habitat.
This was a great story.
I had seen the picture of Mr. Tree giving Sam a bottle of water but I didn't know the whole story. Thank you for sharing! Sniff. Sniff.
This reminds me of a pair of foxes at the Ecotarium in Worcester, MA... when I last visited, they had two foxes who had both been hit by cars, and now lived together at the Ecotarium (this was back in 2002 - I don't know if they're still there), but there was something about seeing these two animals huddled next to each other for support, etc. They looked sad, but you kinda felt better for them knowing that they had each other.
How heart warming!
Wolfgrrrl ~ ROFLMAO Fair enough. No sharing koala muchness in your office.
GOML! ~ I would *totally* celebrate Muchness Day. May you continue to have muchness, as well.
Traci ~ It helps when you've got a good plot. :)
$$ ~ I, too, am a sucker for a koala bear (the stuffed bear I sleep with still is a koala, actually) and think one would be very happy in your loft. Now, I think two would be happier.
Nemeria ~ Bob does add the right ending, doesn't he? *sniff* indeed.
Mrs. Pike ~ oh...I think it's a good thing I didn't know about the foxes. I'd've been a puddle (at least inside).
Krystal ~ Makes you go "awwwww" doesn't it? Good to see you back and safe.
What a wonderful story! Thank-you for retelling it.
Pax,
N.
I love koalas, and I love the word "muchness," and I love-love this story! Amazing how people acting at their worst brought out the best in others. And yes, I cried. Buckets. Shamelessly.
I like how you picked up on the "slightly burnt smell," too.
When I lived in Florida, there were lots of stories about couples who'd met at hurricane shelters. They probably understood each others' metaphorical "slightly burnt smell" very well.
Well, you already know this 'cause I've already told you...but I fell in love with the koalas when I first saw the picture of the little girl drinking from the water bottle, holding the rescue workers hand. At that point, there was no further info, but I kept scouring the internet to find out how she was.
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