August 25, 2010
"It is written on the arched sky,
It looks out from every star...
It is spread out like a legible language
upon the broad face of an unsleeping ocean.
It is the poetry of nature;
It is that which uplifts the spirit within us..."
---John Ruskin
I'm curious about the line ... "the poetry of nature ..."
Poems are often about nature or make use of nature metaphors, yet the idea that the natural world around us is literally speaking poetry, using a language is fascinating. I've never thought of it that way before...
I'm privileged to live in Colorado where Mother Nature is often at her poetic best. The language is all around me. Graceful trees, strong mountains, the most breathtaking blue skies...
Yet, the element that always keeps me "reading" the world around me is the appearance of an animal.
When an animal makes an entrance, I feel my pulse quicken and I'm suddenly more attentive and transfixed. Time melts away. I am in the present moment. I have nothing more pressing to do than watch this animal for as long as he or she permits me to...
That, to me, is the definition of a good poem.
The other morning, there were two fox kits playing in the meadow outside my window. I stopped working, grabbed my binoculars, woke my husband, and watched them---with pure delight---until they somehow sensed my gaze and loped away.
Twenty minutes had passed without me realizing it.
I was lost in a poem...
August 18, 2010
"The words that come from the heart allow for a deeper understanding-a melting of spirits, a sense of unity, the liquid of love."
---Rev. Marsha Lehman, M.Ed., MA
The "liquid of love". Isn't that expression juicy?
A family therapist I know often brings her dog to appointments with clients, especially when she suspects the session might be characterized by the client's mistrust. Her little dog has a way of breaking through her clients' emotional barriers, melting their defenses and creating a sense of unity among those gathered in her office. In other words, her canine co-therapist helps her use the "liquid of love" to get to the true heart of the matter, to reach a deeper understanding.
Animals often help us humans move to the level of the heart, bringing forth a deeper level of expression.
This is one of the reasons I find pet loss counseling so rewarding. As people gather for their pets' euthanasias and to say good-bye, the best of them comes forth.
Expressions of gratitude.
Heartfelt apologies.
Appreciation for the simple gift of friendship.
All are present, along with honest displays of sadness and grief.
All mixed together in that seldom-felt "liquid of love"...
August 11, 2010
"Why is being heard so healing?"
-Margaret Wheatley
I read a magazine article recently that said the average person "consumes"---that means either reads or hears---100,500 words EVERY DAY.
That's a lot of words.
And a lot of information to take in, sort through, remember, and use.
It's no wonder that, sometimes, I feel like that proverbial small voice crying in the wilderness ... is anybody out there?
Honestly, I feel that there are very, very few people in my life who really HEAR me when I'm communicating. Many try to listen, try to understand. But they have their own concerns. Their own stories. Their own opinions about what I should do.
They listen, but they don't always hear...
But, there is one soul I can always, always count on to hear me when I need to pour my heart out. And, I'm sure you can guess who that soul is. My dog Bear.
He has a soulful gaze that searches my face for signs of what my heart is feeling. His body language is attentive and conveys a readiness to truly "be there" for me while I'm thinking my thoughts out loud. And that tail. It wags when my voice sounds happy, droops when I seem to be sad.
That tail lets me know I'm heard and being heard---even by a dog---is healing.
August 4, 2010
"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed." -Storm Jameson
The bond with a companion animal is characterized by all the qualities mentioned in the above quote. Sharing life with a pet can make us aware of the depths of unconditional love and the simple pleasures of life. A pet's companionship can help us feel bolder and more confident about venturing out into the world, participating in events and activities that we wouldn't get involved in on our own.
And research suggests that being needed by our pets can give our lives purpose. For those who live alone, for the elderly who still want to feel useful in the world, for children who spend time at home after school while parents work, it feels good to be needed by a pet.
I like the feeling, too, even though I'm at that stage in life where I'm often overwhelmed by the needs of so many others. Still, being needed by a pet is a unique feeling. They are so utterly and completely dependent on our care.
When I rise to meet my pets' needs, it improves my self-esteem a little. It reminds me, every day, how good it feels to help and care for another living being, to matter to someone else.
It helps me know I am a responsible, loving presence in the world. A force for good!
Who knew we could get all that happiness from living with a pet?
