Sad Story?

May 19, 2014

The weather is great again and I’m back walking and biking at Robinson Preserve. This feeds my soul, but I had a rather upsetting encounter last week.

I was cruising along at about 10 miles per hour on an asphalt trail enjoying the scenery and watching for Roseate Spoonbills on the pond. There were no walkers or bikers on the path and the wind was blowing through my hair. Suddenly without warning, a HUGE frog came flying out of the weeds and crossed right in front of me. Close on his heels was a four-foot long black racer.

I hit my brakes and swerved, but there was nothing I could do. Both tires bumped over the snake before he continued on into the bushes. I pulled over, my heart pounding, and didn’t know what to do. He must have been hurt. How can you get hit by a bicycle with a full grown woman on it and not get hurt? I felt little comfort in that fact that he kept going and wasn’t lying squished in the middle of the road.

 I stood there and called out to him – “I’m sorry. I’m SO sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.” I said prayers for his recovery or quick death. I didn’t want him to suffer. I felt awful and didn’t get back on my bike for a long time. I just stood there apologizing over and over again and sending him energy for whatever was his highest good.

My heart ached for the snake and the damage I had done to him, but then the frog spoke. He was grateful that I had saved his life. He couldn’t have timed his escape any better. He chose the exact moment to cross that road, when a bicycle would stop the predator that was closing in on him. My bicycle.

The snake and the frog stayed with me for a long time. In the end, I realized that while I can be sad and sorry for the snake, it really was the frog’s day to live, and I know he’s rejoicing. 

It’s not Fair!

May 12, 2014

There are a lot of animals leaving their bodies right now. In fact, there have been so many that my last newsletter was about Saying Goodbye to our Pets. In it I discussed animal views on death, making the most of the time you have left, how to know when it’s time, preparing for euthanasia, and also how to honor them after they are gone. http://www.rockisland.com/~mg/pages/news.html

What I didn’t talk about is the common reaction from people that it’s not fair.

How can losing a loved one ever seem fair? We adore these precious beings and want them to be with us forever. But life is finite and unfortunately animals live much shorter lives than we do.

Sometimes when a beloved animal friend dies we take it personally. We think it’s the world, or life, or God, or the universe punishing us for some unknown reason. We scream and rant and rave that it’s not fair, but the simple truth is that it’s not about fairness. It just is.

Life isn’t about being fair – it’s about relationships and sharing love. It would be way less fair to have never met this wonderful being and to have missed out on all the good times and the love.

When your dear animal companion leaves this world, don’t waste your time and energy on how unfair it is. Instead, focus on the joy and love that you shared and be grateful that you two had whatever time together that you did. When you are in a place of gratitude and joy, you will attract another wonderful being into your life and will be honoring your deceased pet by spreading your love.

The ways of life and death are a mystery. Animals are very accepting of death and not afraid to leave this world. They know that no matter what form they are in, that they will always be connected to us. Keep your heart open and allow yourself to feel the love that is flowing to you from your dearly departed friend. They are still there – really -  and it’s only fair that you accept that love and hold it dear.

A Lesson on Love

May 6, 2014

I have worked professionally as an animal communicator for 18 years now. It’s hard to believe and who would have thought that I’d do anything for this long? It shows that when you discover your purpose and find something you love doing, the time just flies.

Over the years I have learned many varied and valuable lessons from animals, but I think the most important one is about love. Animals love us unconditionally. They don’t care if we finished high school, or live in a fancy house. They don’t care what color we are, what religion we follow, or what we look like. None of these things matter to them.

Oh sure, they have preferences, like eating “the good food” or going for walks EVERY day, but in the end it’s all about the love. They love us no matter what and their greatest joy is expressing that love.

Our animal friends want the best for us. It’s not uncommon in a consultation for an animal to tell their person that they need to relax and have more fun. They tune into our stress and do what they can to alleviate it. Some animals even take on our physical and emotional illnesses – they love us that much.

Does that mean that they always do everything we want? No, of course not. They have their own issues too, but at the end of the day, no matter what we do or don’t do, they still love us. I find this incredible and inspiring. If we were more like our animals, the world would be such a different place. They are quick to forgive and forget our wrongs and even quicker to bring us joy.

Another piece of this lesson is that animals always love themselves. I have never spoken to a critter that told me he was stupid, fat or ugly. They always feel their inherent worth and are happy to be who they are. They don’t judge themselves or beat themselves up for not winning that agility trial – they do the best they can and accept it.

Our animals teach us many things, but the greatest lesson of all is to love ourselves no matter what. That's what they do, and what they want for us. Be love..........