compassion

When One Door Closes…Being Open to the Gifts Behind the Next Door.

Posted by Barbara Techel
When One Door Closes Being Open to the Gifts Behind the Next Door.
Gidget

I’ve been working just about everyday on the fourth draft of my new book, Wisdom Found in the Pause. It’s in part, about my second dog in a wheelchair, Joie, who I adopted from Oregon Dachshund Rescue in 2012.

Joie, while a beautiful gift in itself when I brought her home that fateful day in October three years ago, would be short-lived. But the lessons that continue to unveil themselves have been openings of deeper understanding and healing for me. So while the book is about Joie, it’s also about what I learned about myself after she passed.

I was mad when Joie died. Mad at God that I couldn’t have her in my life longer. I just couldn’t understand why she was called home so soon after I opened my heart wide open to love another.

A heart that was still tender from the loss of Frankie. It felt so unfair.

But as often happens from painful experiences, we don’t see the gifts or blessings until years later.

I see them continually as I work through finishing this book revisiting my life with Joie on the written page. But I also see the gifts in where I am heading in terms of new opportunities and new projects/ideas I’m investing my time in.

I also see it most clearly in the gift of Gidget. It flashed vividly through my mind again last night as she lay tucked under her blanket on her bed in the living room.

If Joie hadn’t passed away, I wouldn’t know Gidget. Each dog that has entered my life has changed me in different ways. Gidget is now doing this for me with lessons she is teaching me. Just like Joie did and Frankie and Cassie Jo before her.

Each sweet dog, a magnificent gift that I got to open my heart to and in return those gifts live on forever within me.

To hold onto grief or guilt because of their passing’s would serve no purpose. It would only shut down my heart and joy could never enter again.

It is in this awareness that I see their true beauty and that loving again is what they teach us so brilliantly. And that love is the answer.

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Wednesdays with the Wisdom of Dog: Compassion

Posted by Barbara Techel

kylie adorable

Sweet Kylie

When we think about a lesson from our dog friends, I think oftentimes one of our first thoughts is how they have taught us to be compassionate.

They have certainly seemed to lead the way in teaching us to be more compassionate toward other animals. Yet, I think there are two lessons they really want us to understand.

First and foremost, compassion with ourselves. When we can achieve this then the second lesson becomes easier. And that is to have compassion for all humankind. And when we do that, having compassion for animals is taken care of without a thought. It just is.

Compassion in knowing that we are each beautiful in our own unique way and that we matter.

When we can achieve compassion for ourselves then compassion organically flows out into the world around us. And this in turn makes Dog know his work is done and he can rest.

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This is part of a weekly series of lessons I’ve learned from my dogs, and/or something I feel they are trying to teach us. I welcome your thoughts on any of the lessons or teachings that resonate with you.

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Tribute to Simon the Donkey

Posted by Barbara Techel

Simon-In-The-Skid-Barn-944x833

I fell in love with donkey’s because of author Jon Katz and reading about them through his blog. I especially had a soft and big heart for Simon, the donkey he rescued from an abusive situation, and who was paralyzed for a time being. But that all changed when Jon and his wife, Maria took Simon in five years ago. He not only survived, but thrived.

The photo above was taken just a few days ago of Simon when he was protecting himself from the cold wind, standing in the skid barn. It cracked me up when I saw it and I laughed out loud reading what Jon said,  “I was grateful he didn’t drop a ton of manure in there, he looked peaceful, even cozy, for a donkey.”

He has thousands of adoring fans. Most recently a classroom of children heard about his story because of the book Jon wrote about him, Saving Simon: How a Rescue Donkey Taught Me the Meaning of Compassion. The children had sent Simon Christmas cards and New Years wishes.

He died today, unexpectedly. They think he had a stroke. My heart broke reading the news. I cried and have shed a few more tears as Jon continues to share the experience on his blog today.

But if you’ve read the book about Simon, you will understand when I say that all of a sudden through my tears, it occurred to me that Simon had a purpose and how he found his way to Jon — and that purpose was now fulfilled.

Not only did he change the way Jon understood compassion, but his story is helping others see compassion in a new way, too. I smiled for this profound and powerful message from Simon that will live on.

I recall reading the book and seeing myself in the story and the lessons of compassion I’ve learned also because of my dachshund Frankie who had IVDD, was paralyzed and in a wheelchair.  Because of her and then adopting another paralyzed, wheelchair doxie Joie,I came to understand the meaning of compassion in a whole new way too.

This is what animals are all about – they have such amazing lessons to teach us if we can get out of our own way and be open to their life altering teachings. Simon did that for me, just like my dogs have done, and continue to do too.

While I am so sad for the loss of Simon and will miss seeing photos of him and hearing his bray and his stories, I am so grateful to have known him through Jon’s sharing in his writing and photos.

Simon will live on in the hearts of so many and I actually consider him a hero because of the wisdom he brought to so many.

Rest in peace, sweet, dear, donkey, Simon. You will never be forgotten.