Octopus is the animal guiding us with its wisdom this week in regard to gratitude. In the video below expanding on the message of gratitude, you also have the choice to pick a card – 1, 2, or 3 – to go along with Octopus. Enjoy, and as always, if you wish to go deeper and receive support for a challenge you are facing, please feel free to reach out to me. You can learn more about my guidance sessions here. xo, Barbara
Dear Gidget,
I completed the final page— the dedication page— of my manuscript, I’m Fine Just the Way I am.
I know you heard my words of dedication to you as I typed them because I felt your presence all around and within me.
Do you have any idea how often I’ve thought of you in the last six months? My favorite picture of you still sits on my altar. I look at it often and talk to you.
While at times it has been an ache of missing you physically, it has also been a time of deepening in gratitude that has filled and expanded my heart for all you taught me and helped me through.
I look out the window next to my writing desk and the heart-shaped stone marker that marks your resting place is buried underneath the snow.
But I know it’s there. Just like I know you will always be a part of me.
The other morning on my walk I witnessed you as a crow. I knew it was you because as I watched the crow walk along on the grass with the most endearing wobble, giddy-up in his gait, I thought of you and my heart smiled.
I watched as you then flew up to the top of the building and I felt you with me as I continued on my journey back home. This is what you did for me when you were here on earth – you guided me back home to myself.
I’ve been thinking about what others often say and that when we lose someone we feel like they took a part of our hearts with them. I understand what they mean.
But I’ve also come to believe and feel in my heart this expansion and deepening from the love I was so blessed to share with you. My way of honoring you is to continue to do my best to live in that space of expansiveness.
I wouldn’t be who I am today without you and all I learned from you as my Master Teacher and Healer.
I still marvel at moments at how such a tiny dog in stature as you were carried the depth of wisdom as you did.
Our destiny was written in the stars, this I know.
For walking beside me through the darkest of times, your devotion to me never wavered. And though I now walk alone without you, I’m truly never alone as your spirit resides within me. And it is that essence of you that I’ll always be grateful for.
XO
Here’s a hint with this photo above of what the man who sold me a bird feeder forgot to tell me…
You see, I bought this feeder to fill with peanuts for the woodpeckers. And I’ve noticed an occasional wren will stop by to peck away at the peanuts in the shell to score their feast.
The man I bought this feeder from at the Farmer’s Market at the end of summer told me how he designed the feeder to be squirrel proof with the pin that slides through the chain to hold the cap in place on the top. To refill the feeder I have to take pliers to pull that pin out of there and use it to put it back in!
But it has become quite clear that it isn’t chipmunk proof…
See how the cap is pushed to the side (does he carry pliers in his back pocket?!?) Yup, this one tenacious chipmunk has figured it out. I’ve seen him with his cheeks gorging out to the sides as he works to gather as many peanuts as possible.
Grrrrr….I was feeling frustrated this morning as I watched this play out yet again, though in all honesty I couldn’t help but be a bit amused too.
But it was in my frustration after knocking on the window a few times and he’d run away to only return again within seconds, that I found myself in admiration of his determination.
I’ve recently been feeling a bit frustrated by some things that haven’t played out as I’d hoped. When I pondered why I was feeling frustrated, which led to my feeling disappointment, I realized I didn’t need certain things to occur in order to keep moving forward. I’m in charge of making my life happen!
So thank you chipmunk for helping me see that I can do anything I set my mind to.
xo,
Barbara