canine love

On Letting Go and Expanding

On Letting Go and Expanding
photo: http://shroomer83.deviantart.com/

It’s been an interesting summer so far. I’ve been taking part in a 22-week online course called The Magic of You with transformational coach, Jocelyn Mercado which began mid-June.

In part, because I want to expand my reach and offer more of the SoulCollage workshops I facilitate, online. I’m also taking the course because I want to offer oracle card readings, incorporating the wisdom of animals, as a way to help guide others through life’s bigger questions. 

The hardest part for me, and what the course helped me greatly with, was deciding whether or not to let go of the name of my website, Joyful Paws.

As many of you know who have followed me since 2007, I’ve been gradually expanding from my work with my wheelchair dog, Frankie. And while I don’t believe I’m done writing books and there will be at least one more book I’ll write, I’ve decided to set writing in that capacity to the side for now.

When I sat with my feelings about letting go of Joyful Paws, I just couldn’t do it and honestly, I didn’t want to. But I was so torn because I really want to expand my reach and help more women live fulfilling and meaningful lives. Could I do that with the same domain name? While I’ve talked about this before on my blog, the course has really helped me to finally see that it is a part of me and always will be. That made my heart sing!

Joyful Paws, which began as an outlet to share my writing, which expanded to my books and my advocacy for dogs in wheelchairs, then expanded into my wanting to teach workshops. And for many years, I’ve also dreamed about offering oracle readings to others because of my love for them as a tool I use in my own life that has helped me greatly.

Joyful Paws….at the heart of the name is how my dogs taught me to appreciate so much about life…the simple things…that we only have this moment…that it’s our birthright to experience joy. All pauseful moments of reflection that I came to see as vital to living a meaningful life. In a world that glorifies hurry and material things, my dogs have, and continue to help me see what is truly important.

All those teachings expanded to really tuning into, and appreciating the healing energies of nature, observing other animals in the world, and exploring all the many parts of myself to step into the authenticity of who I am.

Joyful Paws is so much a part of who I am…which Jocelyn helped me to fully embrace and know that I didn’t need to let go. I realized I was resisting letting go of Joyful Paws in part because I didn’t want to buy into how things “should” be done in the world of how marketing can instruct us to do. And more than anything I wanted to trust my intuition.

And so it is…Joyful Paws will stay!

Which leads me to the other part of the story to this post today…

Last week, John and I took the plunge and bought a 2018 Chevrolet Exquinox. Well, we actually leased after weighing out all the options. Our GMC Envoy is seventeen years old and she treated us well. But it was time.

In preparing to sell the Envoy, I cleaned it out yesterday. I also knew I had to remove the website decals and the “in memory of” Frankie and Joie decals off the back which I saved until last. It was bittersweet.

The Envoy, for over five years, had become what I had dubbed as “The Frankie Mobile” when Frankie and I traveled to schools and libraries in Wisconsin sharing the message to “Always be positive, make a difference and keep on rolling!” We were also so fortunate to have a few local TV interviews, too.

As many of you also know, on June 21st, the five year of Frankie’s passing, I scattered her ashes around my writing cottage. I will do the same for Joie’s ashes on August 22nd – the day she passed four years ago.

Two things I’ve really come to understand: grief is something one always carries with them and it becomes a part of who you are. And there are moments when you are called to take another healing step in that journey. This is how it has been with expanding Joyful Paws from what it was, to what it now is, and what it will be as I continue to move forward.

And so it was with removing the decals off the back of my car. While the decals are gone, the memories of my dear wheelie dogs are not. They will always be a part of me – without them I wouldn’t be who I am today.

Just like Joyful Paws – it lights me up – it is so much of who I am – and always will be.

I took a photo before I removed the decals:

I removed most everything except for this:

It was my way of having a silent moment and quietly saying thank you once again to my wheelie dogs for all the joy they brought to my life before I finished peeling the rest away – a joy they gave me that remains – and always will.

In sharing the photos on Facebook, two ladies offered to make me new decals which I thought was very kind and sweet. Though I won’t be replacing them.

Another said it is “an end of an era.” While in one way, yes it is, I really view it as an expansion of an era. Because in my heart I believe I am carrying on the teachings of what my wheelie dogs taught me. 

And I couldn’t help but think as this all unfolded that the Envoy is seventeen years old and Frankie would have been seventeen on August 20th. And for the time I had her I had it stuck in my head that I wanted her to live to be seventeen. In an animal communication reading with her that my friend Dawn did the day before I helped Frankie cross over, Frankie shared with us that she felt seventeen.

Perhaps…just perhaps, this was confirmation from Frankie that buying this new car and letting go of the old was the right time.

And why Joyful Paws as my website will stay the same. And I finally feel very good about this decision.

And to add to the magic of the number seventeen I shared this with my friend Dawn recently who said that seven and one when added is eight, which turned on it’s side is the infinity sign.  

Infinity…which symbolizes eternity, empowerment, and everlasting love.

Now that gave me goosebumps!

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Excuse Me? Hello?

Excuse Me?...Hello?

Sometimes when one said little one can’t make up her mind…she ends up on the outside, looking in.

Reminded me of when I was little girl and I was in and out the door of our house during summer days when my mom would eventually tire of the door slamming so often that I’d hear, “Either in or out!”

And if that voice of my dear mom didn’t come out of my mouth today when Miss Gidget couldn’t seem to make up her mind.

XOXOXO

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Not Missing a Beat

Not Missing a Beat

If you’ve ever lived with a dachshund, you know that they live to make sure you never make a move without them. Even if that means disrupting their beloved time burrowed under the blanket and popping up to sport a temporary dreadlocks look.

Some day’s I only have to move slightly in my chair as way of getting comfortable with no plans what-so-ever of getting up, but Miss Gidget has to be sure as she does her quick scuddle to the surface from below to make sure she isn’t missing out on anything.

Sometimes Gidget reminds me of Gladys Kravitz from the 1970’s program, Bewitched, as she has to know what is going on at all times within our household.

And one of those things that glaringly leaves such an empty space when they move on to the other side. And how you find yourself moving as you did when you had a dachshund, or any dog, or animal for that matter. While we think it is they who should adjust to our lives, we find how we’ve adjusted to make sure they are enjoying the utmost of comfort.

While sometimes it tests my patience that I can’t make a move without my little “dachsling” needing to be at my side, I remind myself to treasure each precious moment.

And today, such a day when I got up from my chair, and she scurried to the surface from her place of rest, with her silly dreadlocks look that my heart melt for the love of her devotion.

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