I did manage to get an 8 mile run in earlier this week and it felt really good! Here I am complying with my shirt mantra Run, Rest Repeat.
CFS is back in remission for the moment which is great because life is about to change professionally for me. I've been toying with an idea the last few years but have not quite been in a position to execute it. As some of you know, I've run a Pet Sitting company for 10 years. It is the best job in the world and I am blessed to work with some of the kindest pet owners out there. Pet sitting can also be very time consuming as there never really is an 'off' day or even half day and the hours are long.
Last year I shortened my hours to have part of the evening off to spend with my husband (since he basically has a 9-5 job) and be able to do normal activities like dinner with friends without stressing over finding a back-up to cover any late visits. However, the new client calls continued to come in and if you know me, you understand that I feel really bad for letting anyone down, including strangers and found it hard to say 'no' to new dog clients that needed later evening or very early morning visits. You might wonder, 'why doesn't she hire someone to take over these visits?' Trust me, I have looked, but there is more to pet sitting than loving animals. More on that later.
I thought long and hard about looking elsewhere for a steady job but truly feel there isn't anything out there as rewarding as pet sitting is for me. Plus the freedom it affords cannot be matched. Therefore, I've decided to change my business to Heather's Cat Sitting, Inc. and accommodate mostly cats starting this year. I love my dog clients and of course will continue to care for their fabulous canine companions, but most new clients will be cat owners. The shorter hours will provide me with the downtime needed to avoid burnout and spend quality time with my family.
The business was also growing with the help of a few new back-up pet sitters, however the main one I hired just a few months ago has decided to move out of the area and can no longer cover my vacation days. I am actively searching for a new part time back-up pet sitter who lives in the area, has pet sitting/working with animals experience and has the availability to work on an as-needed basis (morning, midday and early evenings) with the intent of turning pet sitting into a career. If you are interested or know someone that might be, please email resumes and background details to heatherscatsitting@gmail.com
I'm looking forward to the new possibilities this year will bring and pray you all can say the same!
Keep on running, even when the wind is against you and the dreary days seem to last forever. Hope is just up ahead. Run and grasp it.
