pets
On The Positive Side Of A Pandemic
These are painful, difficult times. There is a lot of uncertainty in our world and it is so hard to see so many people suffering. However, there are also many beautiful, magical, heroic moments happening everywhere on the planet.
These moments of unity and love, occurring at the same time as so much hardship and pain is occurring, is what will matter most in the end. It is important during times like this to balance the darkness with the light. In today’s post, I wish to therefore focus on some of these more uplifting, inspirational trends of recent weeks.
There is a man in Spain whose upstairs neighbor was in the hospital due to a Covid-19 infection. The man reached up high every night and fed the hospitalized man’s dog on the balcony of his apartment, thus keeping the dog alive throughout the owner’s hospitalization. Sometimes the smallest act of kindness can have the most lasting impact.
In some places, pet shelters have been emptying with more people recently adopting cats and dogs as companions. In the process more animals are being spared euthanasia and given good homes. Many people are now being comforted and loved by their new fur babies during a difficult time.
Nurses, doctors, truck drivers, janitors, grocery store workers and many other service workers are now being praised as heroes. There is a new appreciation for the important work they do. Some wealthy people have donating money, time and energy to feed people and support the unemployed.
Inspiration In A Time Of Crisis
During this time of the coronavirus lockdown in Spain, I realize that I am fortunate, and for this I am very grateful. For example, I already work from home and I am also accustomed to a certain amount of social isolation, for reasons of choice, at least for the time being.
Furthermore, I can do and buy the necessary. Here in Spain, we are allowed to go out for necessities, to help the vulnerable, and to walk our dogs, but we are encouraged to keep our distance from others and make shopping a swift event. Again, getting shopping done as quickly as possible has always been my preference anyway!
But, even I am aware of missing the occasional coffee in town with a friend, or being able to travel back to the place I moved from last year, to have lunch with a special friend there. Where I live, people are very social and tactile, and interact at any given occasion. They love to meet at their neighbors’ homes, or in bars and restaurants, which are all currently closed.
I have been thinking how this situation might go one of two ways for many families, currently cooped up in small homes or apartments. They could become very frustrated, especially if there are small children confined in a small space. Or, they might get very creative with how to use their time, as well as appreciating being able to spend time with one another and their pets.
Frankie, My Furry Protector In Spirit
I often say, if there is a cat in your house, you are never alone. And this reassuring notion not only applies to cats that are in this life, but also those who have passed on to the next. Just recently, I have received another wonderful visitation from a dear furry friend of mine who passed 25 years ago!
Frankie, a beautiful Blue Point Siamese, was my fur friend and my only ‘sister.’ Growing up she was always there. I picked her out of a litter when I was only two years old. Frankie lived a long, happy life, and in her final days her meowing sounded to me like she was saying, “Maryella.” So, that is what I named my next kitty: Maryella.
So, Frankie came to me the other night and told me that she is friends with the four cats that I own now, and that she is still around after all these years. She even showed me where she hangs out these days. It is a colorful place with a bridge. I will leave it at that.
Frankie told me that she has been my spirit animal for a very long time. I was not surprised, as I have seen her from time to time over the years. She always seems to show up during times when life seems to not be going so well for me. I have certainly felt her warmth and her compassionate, loving energy around me when times are tough.
I have also dreamt of her many times, but the other night was not a visitation dream. It was a full-on apparition. I was looking out the large picture window in my living room, and there she was… walking casually across the deck outside. Then she stopped, sat down, and looked directly at me. She stared right at me.
A Message Of Love From The Rainbow Bridge
Recently, my beloved 18-year-old dog needed to be put down. I asked her, and her sister, to hold on until we moved out of state. For some reason, I just felt the need for them to make one more move with me. They had relocated with me wherever I went for the past 18 years, but this was a big one. They were both amazingly healthy, I was just nervous and concerned for their well-being.
Unfortunately, we were scammed in the real estate deal linked to this move, having been told the heater in our new home had been serviced and was in working order. Arriving there, we found out it was actually a very old oil heater. It was cracked, toxic and not working at all.
Keeping my dogs warm, which is essential for old dogs, was near impossible. The house only allowed for one space heater, or the electricity would go out. The dogs wandered around, and we struggled to keep a blanket or heater on them consistently. Soon one of my dogs stopped walking.
My dog was so loved. The pain was intense when she passed. However, she came to me in a dream soon after. In this vision she was young, beautiful, with a clean, shiny coat. She was also warm and comfortable, lying in the sun. There was a glimmering rainbow on her body – a symbol of the Rainbow Bridge that leads to the Other Side. I knew she was telling me she was doing okay now. She was in the light.
Miracles Are Real
Our first family dog was a lovable, crazy beagle. She was the light of our lives and I adored her so much. She also reminded me of the power of intention and that miracles happen in our lives every day.
She was only six years old when she started showing signs of back discomfort. It was wrongly diagnosed and she was put on muscle relaxant medication, but it got worse. Eventually she could not move at all. That morning she screamed and was in so much pain, it was unbearable. I begged the vet to refer me to the specialty animal hospital.
I needed to do all I could to save her life. She was part our family and I couldn’t imagine life without her. So, I rushed her to the city, once I got the referral. When I walked in, carrying her, she was seen immediately by a neurologist. Thank God for him. He took one look at her and sedated her, as she was in so much pain. He then did a brain scan, to see what the problem was.
The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed she had a herniated disc in her neck. The MRI also showed a piece of bone that had somehow broken off and had moved into a dangerous position. Fortunately, the vet said the cervical spine was the better place, rather than lower back, to have this kind of problem, as treatment and recovery in this area is more likely to be successful.
He did add, however, that the little piece that had broken off was too close to her spinal cord and had moved, so he could not get to it during surgery. He would have to leave it where it was, since he was not able to reach it. He said it may cause her some discomfort, but nothing more. He said it was possible it could shift over time, but hopefully would not cause more damage.
So, I said yes to the surgery. I just had to have faith.
Choosing Peace Over Conflict
There will always be moments in life when we have to choose between peace or conflict. This was the case for me just yesterday.
About half an hour prior to the incident, I had taken my dogs for a walk in the countryside surrounding my home. Adjacent to the pathway we walked, there were a few men working in the field. I didn’t actually see them, but their car was parked up close by, and what I assumed was their lunch had been perched in a plastic bag in one of the olive trees.
Knowing that the curiosity of my dogs would be stirred by that bag of food, I kept a beady eye on them, particularly the two that were off-leash. Thankfully, the only thing my youngest dog appeared to be interested in was someone else’s medium-sized dog that was also in the vicinity of the workman’s feast. I’d assumed that this dog was with the workers, but on taking the same route this morning, I realized that he belongs to the actual farm there.
So, yesterday, after the walk, I was outside my house, when the worker’s car pulled up to my fence. Two young men got out and one of them asked, “Why did you allow your dogs to steal the old man’s bocadillo (a sandwich made with Spanish bread)?”
“They didn’t steal it?” I replied.
“Oh, but they did,” he said. “My friend here saw it happen!”
I took a moment and thought about how to handle this situation in the most peaceful and spiritually aware manner. It wasn’t such a big deal, but obviously the old man felt that he had been robbed.
The Power Of Prayer
Many people only turn to prayer in times of extreme trouble or fear. I was brought up, however, in a home where one also said grace at mealtime, to give thanks for the food on the table. It is always a good idea to have gratitude for the food that nourishes our body. Prayers were also said before going to bed for the night, asking for good things for our family, as well as our friends, pets and life in general.
It’s my own belief that we come into this world with the knowledge of prayer. It is as natural as breathing, and just as important for our spirit. Prayers do not have to be said out loud to be heard by the Infinite Intelligence, or the energy known as God. The spirit world does not have rules or limitations. There is no time or place as in the material world.
After all, we are body, mind, and spirit. We are spirit residing in a physical body for a while, before we return to the spirit realm. Prayer is one of the ways to get in touch with the Other Side, the place that some call Heaven, our spirit home. Prayer can be a great comfort to those who believe in the hereafter, angels, saints and a God energy. If you are feeling alone in the world, prayer can make you feel a connection with your ancestors that have crossed over before you.