I’m fairly convinced
Not that she’s completely superhuman — she gets sick and stuff just like the rest of us. But man, when there’s something she wants done, you better believe it gets done.
By her own hands. Like, now.
It makes me laugh, given that she married into a family whose solution for most problems is to pay someone to fix it.
“Oh no, there are leaves in the yard because it’s fall. Better hire that guy with the leaf blower to come take care of it,” we say.
“Here, let me gather these leaves individually by hand to make sure it’s done properly, while simultaneously using my will to convince the trees to devise a better plan than dropping them onto the grass,” she would probably say instead.
One time, she had a nasty toothache, so, naturally, decided to solve the problem by just yanking the offending molar out of her own face.
She also once went into anaphylactic shock in a restaurant during a business dinner, after her food made accidental contact with some shellfish in the kitchen. Being Vikki, she jammed an EpiPen into her leg and drove her breathless, dying self to the emergency room. And still sealed the deal.
She’s just so darn
So when Hurricane Harvey hit, it was no surprise that she — a dog-lover who, along with my brother, runs a rescue out of their home (on top of their full-time day jobs) — took control again. Filled a truck with supplies, drove the 1,300 miles from Detroit to Houston in one day, and went to work, swapping the bags of food, cleaning supplies and blankets for a bunch of homeless animals, for whom there’s no doubt she’ll work tirelessly to find homes now in Michigan.
That’s just who she is.
And trust me, I know very few of us can go to those lengths to try and be of service. I certainly don’t have that kind of energy.
Like I said, Vikki is a rare breed, indeed.
But even so, we can each do
Houston has a long way to go to heal from this disaster. As I write this, Irma is bearing down on Florida and has already decimated the Caribbean. Wildfires are burning out of control in the Pacific Northwest. It’s difficult to even comprehend all the damage and the suffering.
Personally, I don’t have the space to take in rescued animals, though I would love to. I also have very little vacation time left at work to make a trek. I can, however, in the longstanding tradition of my family, put some money into the hands of those who are able, and have therefore been working my PayPal account overtime to help various animal-related rescue efforts, because that’s where my passion lies.
If you are in a position to do same, find an organization or charity you trust and believe in, and find out what they need. There are a ton from which to choose. From my understanding, money is best — supplies can be difficult to ship and store until needed. If you can’t afford to send cash, but have a few days to spare and the means to get there, offer your elbow grease. Put together a caravan to share travel costs. Donate your skills, whatever they may be.
However you can help, helps. Right now, we are all capable of making a difference.
The important thing is that we
Like, now.
Katie McDowell is a lifestyles writer/copy editor for The Dominion Post. Email her at kmcdowell@dominionpost.com.
