Everyone! It’s August! A wonder and a mind-bender, isn’t it? I often think our human constructs of time actually make it pass more quickly for us. But perhaps it just gives us all the more reason to celebrate every good thing.
For all of you celebrating August birthdays or special-days, we hope you know we’re celebrating along with you! In a never-ending variety of ways, you make all that we cherish here possible and we’re so thankful to you for being with us. And with that in mind, you have some particularly magical birthday twins this month.
Foxie is going to be 47 on August 8th! Fox, like everyone in her group really, seems to have access to some everlasting elixir of if not exactly youth, the magical spirit and abandon that are often born of it. For that, we are endlessly grateful.
I’ve been immensely fortunate to have known Foxie and her family a long time now and only in the last few years as I look through old photos, or certain slants of light, I find my gaze resting momentarily on the glimpses of time and the grace of fifteen years of sanctuary playing out in her silvering highlights and her sometimes more thoughtfully planned (but still done!) back-flips, pirouettes and head-stands. I can fully relate to these mirrored changes, well, minus the back-flips and head-stands. But always, our hearts are held in wonder of her effervescent, ineffable self. What an unfathomable gift we all have in our lives intertwining with hers and each of the chimpanzees.
On August 18th, it will be the 4th anniversary of Mave, Willy B and Honey B arriving home with us and it’s been another year full to the brim for each of them.
This is a year in which Mave has endearingly morphed into “Mora”, having found her person in Dora. None of us have seen her as happy and content since being integrated with Dora’s group, which naturally makes our hearts sing for hers.
Willy B bravely continues to find his footing both as one of the Big Guys (here with Cy and Terry) in his now group of nine, as well as in his groups’ outdoor habitat, the Bray. While he still often chooses the bumpier path along his way, it takes no less courage and we’re proud of him.
And Honey B is living her Honey B life just as she sees fit, every second of every day. Which, of course, is what sanctuary life is all about. Sometimes holding hands with her particularly patient half-sister, Rayne (look at those sisterly profiles), sometimes wrapped in a whirling ball of arms and legs and teeth and yelling with her half-sister, Rayne (or anyone else she feels a strong need to have words with), the unnerving beauty of which is Honey B courageously navigating her life as her wonderfully unique self.
And we will celebrate Missy turning 48 on August 23rd! Missy, who climbed the first tree of her life this past year. And she made it a big one! Who, along with Foxie, had her family of the last 15 years plus profoundly changed with the loss of Jody, and whose spirit and tiny, but mighty runner’s feet continue to follow the north star of her resilient heart.
I’ve said it for the last, oh, thirteen or so years of knowing her and I’ll say it for all my years forward, I wish that for just five minutes I could feel what it’s like to be Missy, moving through life with all that wild strength and grace. I often think that because Missy avoids the paparazzi and chooses to walk through life with her chimp people much more often than her human people, it might go unnoticed to those who aren’t able to see her so frequently just how very special she is. But trust me, she’s a gem.
I saw Enrichment Coordinator, Chad, working on ideas for all things Shortcake (as in Strawberry) and tomato to add to our Amazon Wishlist for Foxie and Missy’s celebrations, so if you’re interested and able to contribute, keep an eye out there and all our thanks in advance!
On that note, I’d like to add that I was training one of our new volunteers the other day and they asked if we had an Amazon Wishlist. It was an amazing thing to stop and do a 360 in the human areas pointing out that most everything we were seeing had been donated by our amazing supporters. You’ll never know how much that means to us and the chimpanzees. Thank you!!
As always, we have so much to celebrate because of you all. I ran across a quote the other day that made me think of this and specifically of the chimpanzees, of us all really. I don’t often like to quote people because, well, their words are their own and it’s sticky territory, but nevertheless, so much can happen in the sharing:
“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living a heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” – LR Knost
Marya says
Oh, Katelyn, what a fabulous quote you’ve shared with us! And thank you so much for these wonderful photos and your heartfelt words that expressed so much of exactly how I feel, too, from across the miles. When I first saw the pics of Missy climbing her first tree last year I wept and seeing the photo of her headed up it just wows me. Each of them with their own personalities and choices of how they behave with each other, with the caring staff and volunteers. It’s just an amazing world to be a part of and I’m grateful for all of it. Now about Strawberry Shortcake’s own shenanigans and those of her troll friends…we’ll never know what they do after dark but I’ll bet it’s quite a gabfest. I’ll bet they’re gossipy until the wee hours! The photo of Honey B and Rayne holding hands is so heartwarming. I love seeing them connecting in this affection between them. I could go on and on…but you get the drift. It’s truly a privilege to be a part of this community.
Marie says
Yes …They KNOW What they do after Dark!…….Go ahead…..Pull that Night Cam:crazy_face:
Ken & Sonny says
so well said.
thank you, Katelyn. 🙂
Susan Kathleen Feeley says
You really nailed that , Katelyn, words of wisdom and what awesome celebrations and anniversaries abound over at the sanctuary this month. You thank us supporters for being there for you, but, speaking for myself I would give my support threefold. It is a pleasure to be part of your beautiful sanctuary ( even if i’m here in Australia I am sure with you all in spirit). Hugs and love Susan
Marie says
:grin:Oh Missy ……I hope they give you a BIG :tomato:Tomato Fest and Foxie your Birthday Box of Gifts should have been received this week:heartpulse:……..Can’t wait for the PARTIES TO BEGIN:confetti_ball::grin::tada:
Judy says
Words well deserving of being quoted Katelyn. Thank you for this insiteful and inspiring blog. Well.. thanks to the chimpanzee people who precipitated it 🙂 They are all so enriching.
Kathleen says
Katelyn, you have this gift of stringing words together from your heart to your typing fingertips. Your love and admiration for Foxie, Mave (aka Mora), Willy B, Honey B, Missy, and dearest Jody is felt deeply in this one sweet post. Each one, amazing! Not that you needed to, but, I am glad you chose to share the words of another. The quote by LR Knost is oh so very true.
Can’t wait to celebrate!
Paulette says
You are such a wonderful writer Katelyn. You have the gift of conveying your thoughts and feelings in such a way that we too feel them the same. Thank you. :pray:Truly
Linda C says
Yes, this blog post didn’t push through. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss a Katelyn post!
Nancy Duryea says
Katelyn, you really touched my heart with your lovely words. I love being part of the sanctuary community and what a joy to see pictures like the these (Mave and Dora and Honey B and Rayne…so sweet. I’m looking forward to the HOOT!
Kaidyn Marie says
My brother also is crlebrating his birthday this month. Thanks for another wonderful blog posts Katelyn! Hoot hoot!