P U B L I C
People's Stories
F E B R U A R Y 9
P R E S T O N A N C H E T A
Molly the Cat
When Molly, a grey tabby, and her siblings were born, they were discovered first by a terrible person and after only two weeks of Molly being alive, Molly had lost her mother and all her siblings to this man, Leaving her severely damaged and badly bruised. She was picked up then by an angel and was saved, but healing physically is only part of every abusive journey. In June 2022, Sam, an 18-year-old girl, ended up having to stop at Watanabe Floral and spotted a woman with a cute cat carrier. Because of Sam’s newly adopted kitten, Meira, she went up to her and asked where she got the carrier, noticing the small kitten inside. Sam asked to see her cute little kitty, whose name was Molly, “She was so tiny and scared. And she had a couple of scratches across her face that made me so sad. But when I went to pet her she laid her pretty little head right into my hands.” Sam fell in love with her and ended up with two newly adopted kittens. “Now she’s 8 months old, and thriving,” said Sam. But not without help, Sam shares, “Meira helped Molly get out of her shell, they play together and sneak attack each other. They eat and sleep together and overall have become besties.” Molly has overcome a lot of hardships. It’s hard to imagine someone wanting to hurt precious life. And even though slamming doors and loud footsteps still spook her, there’s nothing Molly wouldn’t now do to get some snuggle time with her humans. Sam is happy she gave a little kitty a home and couldn’t ask for a better fur baby. Here’s to cats!
Paige
Paige was always a woman of knowledge, kindness, and compassion. Class of 2022, Paige, who grew up in a broken home, graduated a Valedictorian among other honors. Even while juggling other things in her life, like a relationship and finding out what she wanted to do after she walked across the stage. Like everyone else, she thought about giving up in high school. “High school was hard. There was a lot of time and energy spent on things I didn’t need to spend it on, and that made me realize I’d passed other opportunities by,” Paige said. But that’s how life goes. Choosing one path closes a thousand doors and opens a thousand new ones. But amid her teen angst, she found someone to share her hardships and her joy with. She knew that being in a relationship while going to school was going to be challenging but she found her ways and it is inspiring.“Finding balance, understanding how love works, and figuring out what we need from each other while following our paths in life at the same time…was something we’re both still learning. But we get to learn it together.” She quickly found out that relationships aren’t 50/50 but 100/100 no matter what. Finding that middle ground of needs vs. wants, was what made her relationship grow stronger. While strengthening her relationship, she continued to go to school. And with school comes the challenge of figuring out what she wanted to put her time and energy into. “I had no idea what I wanted to major in and with graduation approaching so fast it was like sitting down at a restaurant and everyone asking what you want to eat without looking at the menu first. It was frustrating.” She expressed. But Paige knows there’s time for her, and while she continues to push to win her challenges she maintains her friendships and her relationship. Despite the hardships, she went through as a child, and the rough times throughout her teen years, she uses the many skills learned through high school and life to put herself on the right track. With a good head on her shoulders, she’s figuring out her future and she leaves us with an inspiring message, “Life throws everything at you, and even when it feels like the world is on your shoulders, be proud of yourself and how far you’ve come and don’t give up. Because there’s a whole world waiting.”
Lav
Lav has always been wanting to further her education. She knew what she was going to major in and she knew she was ready. The new school year rolled around and there she was, in her first semester of college. “It came by quickly…it was summer, then it wasn’t.” She laughed. So she began her first semester as a freshman college student, kept up her grades, and just as quickly as it started, the semester was over and it was winter break. She laughed. She went to class and had good grades. The semester ended and then it was Winter Break. During Winter Break, she had thoughts about putting her college career on pause and she began having thoughts about how to move forward. which ultimately ended with her mind set on putting her college life on hold. “I chose to pause because I wasn’t financially ready,” she said. She wished she learned certain things about college and financing it, back in high school. She took a break from college for three weeks, then she landed her first job. “It's going well because I got a job to save up and I'm living my best life learning things I wouldn't have learned through college courses.” She said. Lav knew that putting her college career on pause would be difficult, yet she did it anyway. Finding that courage to stand up for herself to her family and friends was what helped her tell her story. “I hope that people know that they can do anything they want and still remain happy. I know that if I can do anything, everyone can.” She said.
