A Little Bird Shared this With Me…

Posted by Barbara Techel

A Little Bird Shared this With Me...

Yesterday morning with cell phone in hand and a glass of water, I reached to turn the handle on the patio door to walk out to my writing cottage. Luckily, I spotted this little fellow before I turned the handle completely.

What a delight it was to watch him for a few moments hop about my deck! At one point I noted he had a few morsels of bird seed gathered in his beak. I do believe he is an Indigo Bunting as a Bluebird has a tan chest and it is quite rare to actually see one. But also a rare site indeed to see an Indigo Bunting up close and personal right outside my door!

I was happy to have had my cell phone in hand as I very slowly and carefully (since I’m still healing from a sprained back!) kneeled down to snap a couple of pictures.

It wasn’t until I reflected on the day last night that this little fellow came to mind again. Earlier that evening John and I ventured out for date night to a local restaurant. He asked me how I was feeling with the handing over the reins of National Walk ‘N Roll Dog Day (NWNRDD), which I announced yesterday.

I said, “You know, it’s interesting how this took me a long time to decide and while I feel right about the decision, there is a part of me that feels a little bit sad.”

What I’ve come to appreciate about my almost 40 years of being with John is that he’s come to understand that sometimes I just need to be heard and I don’t need him to “fix” me or to say everything is going to be okay.

When we got home after dinner, sitting on the sofa, I continued to move through my emotions from the event of the day, when that little bird came to mind again. I thought about how the Bluebird is a symbolism of happiness. Even though this little guy wasn’t a Bluebird, per say, his appearance that morning was to assure me that in letting go of the attachment of NWNRDD and all that symbolized for me, a new channel of joy will come into my life.

I thought about the little seeds he carried in his tiny beak and how this represented to me the seeds I’ve been planting to grow in a new direction. In order for them to continue to sprout (a.k.a allowing myself to grow!) I can only develop further by releasing what no longer is part of an old identity I had of myself.

I’ve changed so much over the years because of my dedication to personal growth and being open to the wisdom of animals. Both continue to guide me to go beyond the surface of what is so that I can live an even more enriching life.

This morning in doing a little research for further symbolism of Indigo Bunting I came across this:

Indigo symbolizes a mystical borderland of wisdom, self-mastery and spiritual realization. While blue is the color of communication with others, indigo turns the blue inward, to increase personal thought, profound insights, and instant understandings.

It took my breath away. It’s very much in alignment of where I am these days. For quite some time now I’ve been craving deeper conversations with women. I continue to explore the deeper meaning of oracles, by working with oracle cards personally, and with others, to open channels to more meaningful dialogue to impact our lives in a positive way. My continued pursuit of my own spiritual realization and wisdom developed in communication first with myself and in connection with the creator guides me to want to share with others seeking this path also.

“Indigo turns the blue inward” speaks to me of my belief that to gain thorough and valuable insight to who we are, that time for daily personal reflection and going inward is vital. The more we do this, the more our souls can find peace in what is true.

Just as I was coming to the end of writing this post, I spotted the mailman drive by. In my mailbox a special package arrived that I’d forgotten I’d ordered. What perfect timing for another “sighting” of Indigo Bunting! A box of note cards I ordered recently from Brook Burling, an amazing photographer of all things nature! She named this photo she captured, A Shiny Blue Gem. I couldn’t agree more!

Thanks for reading and may you be blessed with some animal wisdom of your own today!

XO,

Barbara

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Special Announcement: Passing the Reins of National Walk ‘N Roll Dog Day

Posted by Barbara Techel

While this is a bittersweet announcement, I’m excited to share with you, and introduce you to, Angela Johnston and Maggie on the Move. After much careful and introspective thought since the beginning of this year, I’ve made the decision to pass the reins to these two who I adore and know will do the day proud, to carry on National Walk ‘N Roll Dog Day (NWNRDD).

Maggie and Angela

As many of you may know, I founded NWNRDD in 2012 in memory of my wheelie dog, Frankie, and in honor of all dogs in wheelchairs. After publishing two children’s books and a memoir about my journey with Frankie, plus over 400 visits to schools and libraries in person and via Skype, and over 250 therapy dog visits, NWNRDD was a way in which I was called to carry on the work Frankie and I had begun in 2007, after her passing in June 2012.

Our mission to share with others that despite paralysis or other conditions causing an animal to lose mobility, that many could live a quality life in wheelchairs designed just for canines. Alongside this special day, The Frankie Wheelchair Fund was also established and funded 70 wheelchairs to dogs in need from the generous donations from others from 2012-2017. I’m truly so proud of the many lives Frankie and I were able to touch in partnership with this special mission.

I also know that Frankie’s mission was to help me to grow more confident and to continue to evolve. This means that change is inevitable and in order to grow it means we sometimes have to let go. While not always easy, I know the time has come. I feel confident about handing the reins over to Angela and Maggie.

When I recently contacted Angela to ask if she’d be interested, it was a pleasant confirmation as the right decision as I learned that she too had been letting go and opening to focusing more on what matters to her. She shared with me her wish to work more with wheelie dogs and their families. How perfect the timing to add to that extension of her outreach with NWNRDD?! 

While I’ll always have a special place in my heart for wheelie dogs, and all dogs and other animals really, it’s because of their teachings I continue to expand in who I am. As I wrote in length on my blog about another big transition and healing I recently went through, this letting go of NWNRDD is part of my journey in moving forward. While a difficult decision in some ways, I weighed it all out carefully, and I every time I tapped into the center of my heart, I knew this was the right thing to do.

Living a meaningful life means opening to new possibilities and answering the call to what your heart is speaking to you at any given time. For quite sometime now, as I’m sure you know as a faithful reader of my blog, you’ve witnessed my need to expand and be of service helping women through transitional periods of their own.

From what I’ve learned from animals, I continue to feel the call to guide women through the art of pausing to find joy and meaning in what matters to them. Whether through my writing for my blog, upcoming books I may publish, to one-on-one personal guidance sessions with women, and facilitating workshops, this is what pulls at my soul at this stage of my life. Animals, nature, the mystical, and creativity will, and continue to be, part of this.

Over the years of trying to “do it all” I’ve also come to understand that we women sure have put an awful lot of pressure on ourselves to do just that. While I believe we can still experience as much as we choose, what I also believe is that we have to learn the art of letting go, and that it’s perfectly okay to do so. 

Life is about change and within transition we have the opportunity to gain new perspectives to guide us to what is next. So while I delve more fully into this new stage of my life, I am honored to give another woman a chance to step into what she is feeling pulled toward also. And that in itself speaks to what I truly wish for all women —to embrace and answer their own inner call. I have no doubt that is what our animal friends want for us, too.

So what will the new change look like as Angela takes the reins for NWNRDD? Basically it means she is taking full ownership and will be taking over the Facebook page, where the majority of updates and inspiring stories have been shared over the years. It also means that you will get to experience Angela’s wonderful sense of humor in the way she writes and shares stories of wheelie dogs, plus not to mention her big and loving heart. Also, I’m quite certain you’ll get to know more about Maggie on the Move and her boyfriend, Artie the Wonder Dachshund. 

Last, but not least, it was because of Frankie that I came to know Angela through the world of Facebook, and also her first sweet and oh-so-fun, wheelie dog, Skippy J. 

Skippy J in his own amazing way also brought a positive face to wheelie dogs while he rolled this earth touching so many lives! In his memory, Angela has been making great strides helping fund wheelchairs for dogs in need because of the love Skippy J shared with her. How cool is that?

Skippy J

So in loving memory of Frankie and Skippy J, I’m thrilled to be officially passing the reins to Angela and Maggie to carry the torch and light the way for many more inspiring stories of wheelie dogs! Please help me welcome Angela and Maggie by visiting NWNRDD!

A sincere, loving, and if I could wrap my arms around you and give you a big hug, THANK YOU to all who have supported my mission over the years. I couldn’t have done it without you!!

Always be positive, make a difference and keep on rolling!!

XO,

Barbara

This, I am convinced, is the real teaching of wild creatures:

by so fully being who they are,

they show us how to be who we really are.

This is the great lesson of the Wisdom of the world.

~ Gerald May, The Wisdom of Wilderness

 

When Life Has Other Plans for You, Stick Your Tongue Out

Posted by Barbara Techel
When Life Has Other Plans for You, Stick Your Tongue Out
Funny Gidget

This was my view at the end of my feet for most of the day today. Not at all what I had planned. 

So this funny human being who thinks when not doing she isn’t accomplishing anything, I was reminded again the practice of patience and the art of being.

A week ago Sunday in my eagerness to organize my writing cottage to make room to play with art journaling, I realized the next morning when I could barely move without pain and then a visit to my chiropractor, I was told I sprained my back.

My mind is raring to go with working on my book and other fun projects I have in mind to dabble in. This is not what I wanted to hear.

While I’m making progress slowly each day with my healing, and told it is a 4-6 week process, I was having a down day today as the pain was back again almost as if I’d not made any progress at all.

Sometimes you just have to give in to what is. No use grumbling about it, though I’ll be honest and I had a small pity party this morning when I got home from the chiropractor.

But then I decided to snap out of it and go with the flow of what I was being handed. A rainy day, it was perfect to snuggle on the sofa and alternate heat and ice all day on my back, with sessions of stretching throughout the day.

At one point I looked at Gidget, nestled in her bed at the end of my feet, and I just had to laugh. Her little tongue was sticking out the side of her mouth due to a canine tooth missing on that side. The perfect message that when life does not go as planned, go ahead and stick your tongue out at what feels like the unfairness of it all, but then look at all the positive of what came from today.

Like watching videos on art journaling which was fun, reading a good book, listening to the rain, watching the birds, and spending time with Gidget. Indeed I have much to be grateful for and tomorrow is another day.

And time for me to sign off and get back to the sofa!

XO,

Barbara