Honesty is in the Action

What is honesty? Is it words? Words to spout at the beginning of a marriage? Words when you are sworn into government service? Or oaths as they are fulfilled in the military with the actions of body and blood? I'd like to think that those oaths are honest because they are backed up with actions. Personally, I think it is easy to lie with words. Tougher to lie with actions. In many ways I rescue animals because their actions are who they are. They can't lie. They speak through their barks, snarls, pantings, smiles, dreaming of catching mice as they sleep at my feet. Just as animals cannot lie through their actions, people who mobilize to protect others come pretty darn close to being that kind of bone pure honesty. That's why I rescue. There is a ginger cat in my townhouse community -- abandoned and declawed. Declawed cats can't survive as ferals. They just can't. I have been working with this cat for about a month. When I started working with him, he'd look at me from under my car and the run away. Slowly I got him to come closer. Now he is coming up to the front porch to get in out of the rain and eat kibble I put out for him each day along with the fresh water I make sure he gets. I an taking it slow so he re-learns trust. I watch over him. Just yesterday I saw two little boys. One of them was trying to hurt the cat by throwing something at it. As I called the cat over to me, the boys both came over to complain and justify the way they were treating the cat. "He clawed me," said the boy who'd been throwing something at the cat. My first question was "With what?" "His front claws," said the kid. "With no claws?" I asked. Then he tried shifting his story but his companion piped up in defense of the cat. Lying starts so young. Sigh. Living nobly starts so young too. I told the first kid the cat belonged to me and not to throw things at it again. Will that help? I don't think so. Did it give the other kid a reason not to be around kids who hurt animals? I sure hope so. Meanwhile, I'll keep rescuing because the honesty is in the action.