Hank the Service Dog Who Took on the Role of Therapy Dog too

Posted by Barbara Techel
Hank is a service dog for the Mayor of Sheboygan Falls, Randy Meyer.  Photo credit: Randy Meyer’s Facebook page.

It happens every time. When I see a service dog with their person it touches something deep inside me. I have such respect and admiration for the work they do.

This past Saturday as John’s family and I greeted guests at the church who were there to express their condolences for the passing of my father-in-law and to share stories of their friend, at one point, I glanced to the front of the line to see Hank and his person, Randy.

My gratitude went out to this sweet dog for his dedication to Randy. As he moved down the line and approached my sister-in-law, Lori (I have five of them), Hank started to break protocol as a service dog. He butted the top of his head up under Lori’s hand and did it several more times.

The protocol is that a service dog is not to be pet when he is working. But Hank seemed to have a different plan and had ‘forgotten the rules.’ After several attempts that looked as if he was trying to get Lori to pet him, his tail began to wag wildly back and forth. This same action of bumping his head into the hands of the other family members continued as he approached each of us, and his tail continued to swish back and forth in enthusiasm.

It was hard to resist petting him and in being honest, we all started to break protocol too.

Or did we really break protocol? Maybe this is just what we all needed at the moment. Perhaps Hank sensed this and decided it was his honor and duty to not only be a service dog but to incorporate being a temporary therapy dog too.

It was certainly a welcome respite for many of the family members who are dog lovers.

Several hours later we gathered for dinner in the church fellowship hall. After we’d filled our plates and were seated I noticed Randy standing in line to get a plate of food with Hank still faithfully at his side. 

Now Hank was in his role as a service dog as he stood patiently by Randy’s side, no attempts to entice others for a pat on the head, and his tail resting down his backside. 

And my respect and gratitude grew even deeper at that moment for the role dogs play in our lives. Thank you, Hank, for your love and devotion to humanity. I’ll always remember this fondly.

xo,

Barbara

 

Personal Animal Oracle Guide for the Week. Come Pick Your Card and Hear the Message.

Posted by Barbara Techel

The world is full of symbology that supports, guides and comforts us. My father-in-law’s ashes now rest in a mausoleum and his dedicated space is on the end next to a large half-moon window with a view of pine trees. Within moments of my father-in-law’s ashes being placed inside, one on my sister-in-law’s exclaimed, “Did you just see the cardinal fly from the tree?” 

A red cardinal is often associated with representing that a deceased loved one is visiting you. My father-in-law loved birds. Their yard is evident of this with the many feeders and berms to support a loving and nurturing environment for many varieties of birds to thrive.

I found it also interesting that on Thursday, five days after he passed, I saw a cardinal in our dwarf lilac tree. The following day I saw it again on our deck railing. Then driving home from the grocery store that same day, I saw one fly across the road in front of me. Before this, I’d not seen one since the summer.

I so appreciate how we are being supported in these beautiful ways and it brings so much comfort.

Ok, onto the reading for the week! Similar to last week, I’ve picked two cards. Pick one (left) or two (right) from The Ark Animal Tarot and Oracle photo above. After you’ve made your choice of card one or two, click below on the choice you made to hear the message from your animal guide for the week.

As always, if you wish to explore deeper with a challenge you dealing with, I’m happy to help with my one-to-one oracle guidance sessions.

CARD ONE – LISTEN HERE

CARD TWO – LISTEN HERE

xo,

Barbara

Putting Myself Back Together Again through Meditation

Posted by Barbara Techel
I took this photo mid-morning today. I love the blue hues I see in the snow.

I had some interesting insight yesterday morning when I sat in meditation. The more I’ve pondered it the more I’ve come to appreciate what it did.

First, a little of the back story. On Saturday afternoon my father-in-law was admitted to hospice and by 10:30 pm that evening he had made a peaceful transition. While he’d not been well for a few years now, it still felt unexpected and it all happened quite quickly.

It brought back many memories being inside the hospice facility where I paid many visits with my special wheelie dog, Frankie when we were a therapy dog team many years ago. We volunteered there for three years and the perspective I gained there was life-altering in a beautiful and profound way. One of the key lessons I learned was to ‘leave my baggage at the door’ before entering. Our job was to be one hundred percent present for the patients and families we met.

I remember how scared I initially was to do this type of work – to be with those that were dying. But what I’d come to understand, which was vital, is that they were still living. I’d come to experience being part of hospice as a true honor and privilege to be allowed into the rooms of those that were in their final stage of life.

Now I was on the ‘other side’ of things as my father-in-law was making his transition. I was among the family members as we sat vigil in his room. At one point, witnessing the deepest of compassion and caring the nurses were lovingly extending to my father-in-law and the family, I was overwhelmed with emotions. It truly is such sacred work they do.

As to be expected with all the emotions flowing it leaves a person drained of their energy. Along with the family activity the next day at the home where John grew up, the energy was running high with much that needs to be done as a funeral is planned.

Being one who needs lots of quiet time, and sensitive to energy, by Sunday evening when we returned home my energy was depleted. I was eager for Monday morning to get in some meditation time as one of my go-to’s when I need to refill my well.

I chose a meditation called, Whispering Thoughts on Inside Timer which provided ambient sounds that said it would “guide you into a state of inner calmness and bring you back to your true nature, your inner self.”

Once my thoughts quieted down, I saw my spine in my mind’s eye. It was crooked with many zig zags. I then saw my hands on either side of my spine. They started at the bottom near my tailbone and began to gently compress inward on either side of my spine. As they did this, I saw my spine begin to relax and straighten.

After several rounds of this, I then saw my hands gently smooth out my spine beginning at the top and running them along the top of my spine and extending this motion all the way to the bottom of my tailbone. This happened for several minutes.

As I’ve pondered this and how I feel today, the straightening of my spine as it came to me through meditation, which was so relaxing and soothing, was a way in which I was calming my nervous system. It also helped to restore some of the energy that had been depleted.

My meditation practice evolves and continues to teach me new things and this one I’m feeling much gratitude for. The difference in my practice these days is I have learned to trust that what is happening is real and I’ve learned that tuning into my body and taking note of how I’m feeling is a guide to help me during difficult times.

xo,

Barbara