Kitten in a Box

One day my daughter returned from school when she noticed a young lad in the parking lot of a gas station offering free kittens from a cardboard box. “This one is named…Lola,” the boy searched for a name as he cuddled one of the furry creatures. “She is so lovable and kind,” the boy continued with the smile of a salesman.

Sometimes it is difficult to find homes for unwanted animals. Future expenses may include neutering, vaccines, vacation sheltering, and new furniture if it is clawed. Of course my daughter perceived only a helpless Lola purring for affection.

My daughter carried the mammal home, texting that she was “bringing a surprise.” Lola came into our lives without a known father or a mother who would render kittenhood instruction. She came without food, a bed, a toy, or an instruction manual. Lola did come with a wonderful bonus that I was born without- a name.

And then I wondered if my missing sister ever knew she was once called Debra Kay.  Or was it felt her name was unnecessary to be preserved?  Was there no attempt to record her name in the annals of history if she would be renamed anyhow?

To assimilate our world, humans must name everything. We name tropical storms. We name ever insect, plant, star and constellation. However, the name Debra Kay Price does not exist in the birth records of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis December 6, 1955.  Was my sister and I like kittens in a box? Did someone predict we would never fulfill our lives with the names we were given?

Although my birthmother referred to me as Jonathan Raymond, my original birth certificate read, “infant.”  I wonder how I would live my name if I was addressed as Jonathan Raymond?  What if my name was Artistic, Joyful, or Fabulous? Would the events of my life be any different if I were named Killer, Switchblade, or Shifty?  And lastly, what would be my destiny if my birth certificate said, “Kitten in a Box?”

We are all born into our world with love. To fully live our unlimited potential we must first know we are loved. The second thing we must have is a name and an identity to live up to.

Filed under: Adoption, Philosophy