animal teachings

The Day My Heart Found Its Way Home Again

The Day My Heart Found Its Way Home Again
The Wise and All Knowing Miss Gidget

I truly believe we get the dog we need at the different junctions on the path of our life’s journey.

To try and explain it any other way it seems to defy true explanation or pay honor, really, to what they truly can mean in our lives if we allow it.

It’s a knowing that is felt in heart and soul. A truth that is there if we choose to open to it even when we may not yet clearly understand.

It was two years ago today that I held Gidget in my arms for the first time. As always happens after the loss of a dog in my life, getting another one when the time is right for me, never fails to make me feel like my heart has found its way home again.

It’s a connection with Dog that my spirit calls out for, and can’t live without.

The first time I laid eyes on Gidget after doing a search on the Internet, looking specifically for a dachshund with special needs, there was this lightning flash of recognition that I knew I had found her. She was the one.

Her eyes, I find, are hard to look away from. They have this ancient and all knowing wisdom about them and I’ve often referred to her as my Buddha dog.

Sometimes I get lost in my own little inner world of worry and lose sight of her gifts to me. I was reminded of them again, and of seeing her for who for she truly is, when the organization I adopted her from, re-posted a video of her (see below).

I saw her again watching the video, as if for the first time,and what made me fall in love with her. And why I understand in many ways why she is in my life.

She is independent, yet loves time with me on her own terms, and something I’m learning to be more aware of to honor that in her. This also is honoring that in me, which fascinates me.  She is also quite funny in her own unique way, and sometimes reminds me of a Leprechaun or playful sprite.

Though she may be small in size at only 10 lbs. and quite petite, her spirit is that of all Dog and all knowing. I just sense that about her and what I greatly admire in her.

She has taught me so much already these past 24-months and those teachings I continue to ponder and work through, of which I can’t quite find words to express. Perhaps someday I will.

So today I celebrate Miss Gidget as we mark this day we found our way home to each other through the aligning of the stars— and how we help each other to live more fully into this time we have together here on earth.

 

Talking Dogs, No Kids by Choice, & Life as a Writer with Author Jackie Bouchard

Talking Dogs, No Kids by Choice, & Life as a Writer with Author Jackie Bouchard

I’m excited to share with you today my audio interview with, Jackie Bouchard, USA Today best-selling and award winning author of three fido-friendly fiction novels.

Today we talk about her newest novel, House Trained which will be released tomorrow, but if you can’t wait, you can pre-order it here.

One of the themes in her book is about the main character, Alex and her husband who chose not to have children. A subject I’m very familiar with, as is Jackie, as we both made the same choice.

jackie

We had an interesting discussion about it, along with Jackie’s writing life, how she comes up with the ideas for her books, and her wonderful sense of humor.

Hope you enjoy!

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Skunk Dream. What Could It Mean?

Skunk Dream. Would Could it Mean?
Photo credit: kids.britannica.com

If only I could remember all the parts of my dreams.

I try really hard, but it seems I can only manage to remember one small tidbit of them. Maybe I’m trying too hard?!

The only thing I recall of my dream last night was that I encountered a skunk. And then he sprayed me right in the face!

Upon awakening, I thought, “What in the world could that mean?”

I’m increasingly becoming more and more fascinated with what our animal world is trying to teach us, not just dogs, which I’ve learned so much from in the past ten years. I can’t help but think they’ve led the way for me to now become more interested and open to other animal teachings.

For a long time I always thought you had to actually encounter an animal to receive a message. But I now understand to pay attention by patterns of animals that show up whether in images or on TV, or in person too, as well as in dreams.

When one shows up in my dreams, I get excited and intrigued about what it is I’m supposed to understand that perhaps I’m not getting.

One thing I’ve learned to do because of my animal communicator friend, Dawn, whose written lots of books on the subject, is to think deeper into their meanings and listen to my own intuition to how that animal is trying to speak to me.

It’s often called animal medicine which is the Native American practice of embracing an awareness that reveals itself when a certain animal crosses our path.

It’s “the custom of animal medicine refers to the healing aspects that a particular animal brings to our consciousness. This would mean anything that supports, strengthens, restores, empowers, or revives the spiritual body, as well as the physical body.”

So what could skunk mean appearing in my dream?  I went to a popular book by Ted Andrews called, Animal Speak, for guidance.

One paragraph jumped out at me:

“The skunk does not get out of the way of any animal. It moves along at its own speed, with its own mind. It is self-assured and confident in itself. It skunk has shown up, it can be to help you with this particular aspect. It can teach you how to be more self-assured and how to assert yourself.”

I asked myself, “How does this relate to where I’m at right now?”

As I thought about it, I knew exactly what it meant.

I’m adventuring into offering workshops out of my home teaching the SoulCollage(r) process. I have this fear that no one will sign up. That people won’t want to see how this process can help them. That perhaps they aren’t ready.

For about three nights in a row this is exactly what I’ve been worrying about in my dreams.

But this time skunk showed up to encourage me to be confident in myself and to trust that all is going to work out.

So okay, Mr. Skunk, I guess you had to spray me in the face to get my attention to stop worrying so much. I’m taking your message into my heart and trusting it….

and if you don’t mind me adding, without any offense what-so-ever, I’m really glad you were in my dream and not reality when it took spraying me in the face to get my attention!

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