It’s so easy to see God/Spirit/Source in nature and our animal friends. Not always so easy to see it in ourselves. We can get so caught up in our minds instead of living from our hearts and in our body.
But there are beautiful moments when I’m reminded once again that I too am a part of God/Spirit/Source.
Especially afternoons when the sun is streaming in through the kitchen window. I feel like I catch a glimpse of this essence we can’t see, but can feel if we really tune in.
And I really feel it in moments like this when I see Gidget in the rays of the sunshine as if lit from the inside, out.
It brings me right back to the center of how one should really live in order to experience pure joy. It’s an inside job that will reflect on the outside when we are living from our true essence. Animals live this in every waking moment.
Yesterday I had an amazing experience of working with the spirit of horse at my friend Pam’s horse farm. I’m still simmering in all the gifts of that time before I write about it.
John of JT Construction. Photo credit: Katherine Blanke
How do you build a house, you ask? One 2×4 at a time. -John Techel
It was his dream. To have his own business which he started almost 22 years ago.
He loves to work with his hands. And he thrives on the smiles and gratitude of happy clients.
But then ten years into his business it was suggested to go bigger. You can’t make a living without a crew they said.
He went from one to three full time employees and brought in seasonal help for the summer.
While the crew expanded, the stress and challenges did too.
He was so torn. His heart born to be an entrepreneur and his spirit alive in believing in young men coming into the trade and giving them a chance to make something of themselves.
But the economy and bureaucracy started to drain the spirit right out of his very soul.
His work no longer gratifying in the way it used to be. Chasing jobs to keep three full time guys busy. Some had families to support and this weighed heavily on him, not wanting to let them down.
As the light went out inside him, my heart grew heavy, too. I wanted more than anything for that spark to return for him again.
And as sometimes happens, life has a way of supporting you if you open to it. He never had the heart to let anyone go, but knew if one of the guys left he wouldn’t replace them.
Soon enough he was on his own again and a decision to make. While it would have seemed easy, he worried that at mid-life his body may not hold out. But he wanted more than anything to keep going.
You see, this carpenter husband of mine has this driving force in him that is quite magical to be witness to.
His passion for remodeling and building is evident in how he talks with clients and how he pays close attention to detail. But more than that, it’s about giving people a home or a new, updated space within their existing home they can be proud of. A place where they feel joy and security, and can relax after a long day.
This carpenter with rough working hands, dirt under his nails, aches in his fingers and shoulders, forges forward for the reward of knowing he brings joy to home owners.
And when a client pays him a compliment I swear I see his heart grow ten times its size.
And the best? The joy and spark that this carpenter’s wife sees in her carpenter husbands eyes is what makes my heart swell with pride — and brings joy to me to see a man who is happy and content in what he does.
My favorite time of the day is one-on-one time with Miss Gidget which happens most days shortly after she eats dinner at 4pm.
Yesterday as she lay on her back on the sofa and I gave her belly rubs, as often happens, I felt a huge wave of love wash over my heart.
It’s one of the best feelings in the world.
And I thought about how rough the road was when I first got her two and a half years ago trying to understand some misinformation I was given that she was in need of a pacemaker.
After a visit to the UW of Madison Vet teaching school and an expensive bill I was relieved to find out her heart was perfectly fine.
And just when life seemed to settle into place her seizures began. That was definitely a test of my will and understanding. I honestly thought I’d lose it during that year of trying to figure out why she was having them, and how to best help her.
We are approaching 150 days of no seizures and play time yesterday with her had me thinking about what is sometimes called the “sweet spot” in life. Those stretches of time when life feels incredibly good and you hope it will last forever.
While dogs don’t typically know when they are seizing, and it is harder on the people in their lives, I certainly hope she never has another one.
But as hard as it was, I learned a lot from the experience. It was a time of standing more into the truth of things that I believe in regarding holistic care and speaking up for what I felt was best for her.
It was also a time that I believe Gidget was a reflection for me. She had me looking at a part of my soul that I’d been trying to push away for a very long time.
The sweet moments with Gidget have me reflecting on how precious these times with her truly are when all is well– and how they become so much more dear because of the tough times.
A reminder to take nothing or any day for granted. To live even more in awareness of how little time we really do have here.
Each and every dog in my life have brought gifts I don’t believe I would have experienced otherwise. And it continues to inspire me that I learn so much about life through the eyes of my dogs. Their lessons somehow find a way into my heart that stick and change me for the better.
