Animals can show us our fears

While it is common knowledge that animals pick up on how we feel, what some people may not realize is that animals can even pick up on the uncommunicated feelings that we have. It's why there are cases where a dog guardian is walking their dog and even though they are displaying confidence, their animal still picks up on the concern they feel about an approaching dog or person. When the dog reacts to that dog or person, their first reaction might be, "But I was talking in a happy voice and telling my dog not to be concerned, why did he react that way?" The truth is, it was because the dog was picking up on what their guardian was REALLY feeling.

Over the years, I have had many experiences with my clients where the animal is picking up on feelings their guardian isn't even aware they have, which makes me realize that animals are adept at tapping into our deepest levels of energy, our deepest level of feelings . . . and if we really pay attention, we will realize how much they can help us.

One client in particular owned a store and loved to bring her dog to work with her, but her dog would sometime bark and growl at the customers. Obviously, that wasn't good for business so she asked me if I could help. When I did a session with the dog, I felt the dog was tapping into a fear that the guardian held deep inside her, and that was why she reacted the way she did with certain customers. It didn't resonate with the client at the time, so I didn't push it.

A few weeks later, the guardian called me and was very excited. She said she had just remembered something, from about twenty or more years ago . . . at the time, she was working in her mom's store, and they were robbed at gunpoint. She hadn't thought about it in years and had forgotten it had even happened, but when the memory popped back into her mind, she realized that must have been what her dog was picking up on.

I asked her if she held any fear that it could happen again and she wasn't sure. We decided to do a reiki treatment with her and see if we could help her body release that old memory. During the session, she realized that she DID still hold a fear that it could happen again, in part because she still felt responsible for not being able to stop the robbers. We worked on releasing the responsibility she still felt and helping her feel empowered again. At the end of the session, she felt much better about it, felt much more at peace about what had happened all those years ago.

Since then, her dog has happily been joining her at her store every day and no longer barks and growls at customers. She now believes that if her dog DOES bark or growl, it will be because there really is a person in the store she should be concerned about, not because of an old fear that she held deep inside her. And she is grateful to her dog, for helping her see that there was something from the past that she needed to release.

It is worth considering . . . if your pet is behaving in a way that concerns you . . . they might be reacting to a feeling you have, that isn't even on a conscious level. And maybe they are in your life to help you finally let go of that old feeling.

Happy New Year

A few weeks ago, I had the TV on while I was working on the computer, and my ear caught the first line of an old Roberta Flack song that I used to love . . . "The first time, ever I saw your face" . . . I looked up at the TV and saw the faces of sad, neglected animals and my eyes immediately welled up with tears . . . I felt a deep ache in my heart as I reached for the remote to change the channel. I wanted to keep listening to the song because I have always loved the song, and I didn't want to ignore the message that the animal organization was trying to share, but at the same time, I couldn't think about all the neglected animals in the world. My heart just couldn't handle it.

Every time that commercial has come on since then, I find myself diving for the remote. I can't get the channel changed fast enough, because even if I don't look at the TV, the images of those sad faces are still in my brain and I immediately tear up the second I hear the song. I was disappointed to think that I might not ever be able to listen to that song again, without getting overly emotional.

I looked up the lyrics the other day, and realized that the first part of the song could probably be sung by anyone who has even had and loved an animal . . . "The first time, ever I saw your face, I thought the sun rose in your eyes, and the moon and starts were gifts you gave." It really is a beautiful song, although I had always thought of it more as a wedding song, than a "please help the animals song."

Anyway - it just got me thinking about how many animals out there really need help and I started to feel discouraged, the way I did when I was volunteering for an animal rescue organization . . . . when you realize that no matter how much you do, there are a million more animals you haven't helped yet and your efforts start to feel futile.

I wanted to get out of that discouraged mindset, and focus on something more positive, like the animals who HAVE been helped . . . when all of the sudden an email arrived from one of my clients. She told me that she had been able to donate 57 dogs toys and 44 cat toys, in honor of her dog who passed away this past year. I wrote her back a note saying, "Just think about all the happiness you created at the shelter!" It made me smile all day, thinking about those dogs and cats at the shelter that found joy from having a new toy to play with. I am sure it gave them hope to know that someone cared about them.

Then this morning, I got on the computer to find an email from another one of my clients, with a link to a website in Minnesota that had pictures of German Shepherds frolicking in the snow. It was so fun to scroll through the pictures of happy dogs, having a great time in the aftermath of the blizzard. So, thanks to my clients, I'm staying focused on happy thoughts, in spite of the number of times the commercial with the Roberta Flack song has come on.

If you'd like to see the "snow dogs" here's the link: http://www.sablerockkennels.com/blizzard2010.html

I hope it makes you smile as much as it made me smile. Wishing you all a very happy new years. May you be blessed in 2011 with everything your heart desires!!!

Spring has Sprung

A week and a half ago, I was out in the yard and discovered, much to my surprise and delight, that one of my daffodils had decided to make an early appearance. Normally, daffodil bulbs don't bloom until February or March, so I was quite intrigued by the December arrival. When my friend Sue came over that week, I made her come out in the yard to see the daffodil. She commented that it was a sign of hope from the Universe. I said, "Are you sure the Universe isn't trying to tell me that it's ok to be impatient?" We had a good laugh about that, as I have been known to be a bit impatient and I liked the idea that the daffodil might be encouraging that particular trait of mine.

A week later, I noticed a second daffodil had arrived. Having ONE was a big enough surprise, but to have TWO daffodils make an early appearance made me think the Universe was trying to get my attention. I looked up the meaning of daffodils and found that they are a sign of new beginnings, rebirth and hope. They can also be a sign of faith, honesty, truth and forgiveness. I found another website that says they are the symbol of unrequited love and "you're the only one for me." I wondered what these daffodils were trying to tell me, as there were so many possibilities.

Today, on Christmas day, a THIRD daffodil sprung up. I was stunned. I have had daffodil bulbs in my yard for fifteen years and I have never had one come up in December, let alone three. I think someone is definitely trying to get a message to me, although I am not entirely sure what the message is.

The interesting thing is, my admiration of daffodils has never been a casual thing. I have been fascinated with them since I was a little girl. They were my favorite flower, from as far back as I can remember. I don't know why, I was just crazy about them. When my parents let me pick out wallpaper for my childhood bedroom, I picked out daffodil wallpaper and I even had a bright yellow comforter and canopy cover to match. You could say I was obsessed with daffodils and I always have been. Even today, while my tastes have moved away from garish wallpaper, I do still have a variety of daffodil pictures adorning my walls.

The two things I remember most from my childhood were my intense love of daffodils and german shepherds. It was as if I was born having an unquenchable thirst for both, yet all my yearning for them never panned out. Throughout my childhood, we never had daffodils in our yard (But I remember getting in big trouble once for picking some out of someone else's yard on the way home from school). And while I begged and begged for a german shepherd, my parent's response was always, "You can have one, when you have your own house."

Fifteen years ago when I bought my house, the first thing I did was plant a bunch of daffodil bulbs. Two months later, I saw Lucky on the news and knew she was supposed to be mine. A month later, I won the lottery at the SPCA and finally had the german shepherd I had always wanted.

A couple months after that, the daffodil bulbs I had planted in October finally bloomed and for the first time in my life, I had my own daffodils. It was as if my life was complete at that moment . . . my childhood dreams had been realized . . . I finally had a german shepherd and I had daffodils to boot! Unfortunately for me, Lucky had a different kind of interest in the daffodils. As soon as they bloomed, I would catch her with her mouth closed tightly over one of the daffodils in the yard. When I would say, "What are you doing?" she would freeze and pretend she didn't know I was talking to her. After a minute of being "frozen" she would gently remove her mouth from the daffodil, leaving it slobbery but not totally ruined. I always had to supervise her in the yard, reminding her to leave the daffodils alone. I don't know if she was jealous of the attention they got from me or what, but she was definitely obsessed with the daffodils, although not in the same way I was.

So, I find it extra curious that these three daffodils would show up in December this year, given that they have always held a special place in my heart, as did Lucky. Maybe it's Lucky letting me know she's still around. Even though the weather has been cold and wet, I have found myself spending a lot more time in the yard and it is hard not to smile when I see them. While I am not entirely sure what the message is that I am supposed to be getting from their early arrival, they have brought me a lot of joy the last week and a half. I suppose for tonight, that is enough of a message.

Preparing Animals for the Holidays

This time every year, I feel compelled to write a plea to animal guardians, to consider their animals during the holiday season. This is a crazy time of year, not just for us but for our animals as well. For animals who live in our homes, it can be very confusing. WE know what's going on, but they don't always understand and it can make the holidays even more stressful for them. This is especially true for animals that are new to our home, but it still applies to animals who have been with us a while and have been through a few holidays seasons.

You may experience all sorts of frustrating experiences, such as your dog deciding to "water" the christmas tree, or your cat who removes half the ornaments from the tree while you are away at work. They may unwrap gifts that have been placed under the tree, or chew through a string of lights. This behavior is typically telling you that the holidays are stressful for them too and chances are, they don't understand what all the hoopla is about.

If you think about it from their perspective, this is what they see:

- People coming and going, with no one sticking to the regular schedules and routines

- Packages being brought into the house, that they aren't supposed to get into

- Trees being dragged into the house, that get a lot of our attention, especially during the decorating process

- Lots of food being prepared in the kitchen, that they don't necessarily share get samples of

- People coming over, sometimes spending the night, often displacing them from their usual hang out spots

They often get yelled at or spoken to in a firm voice. We say things like:

- Get out of those packages, those aren't for you

- Get out of the tree, you are going to break the ornaments

- Stop drinking the water from the tree stand - you have a water bowl

- Don't you dare pee on that tree

- Go in the other room, Aunt Gertrude is allergic to dogs/cats

- You can't lay in the kitchen when I am cooking

It's all very confusing to them and they often don't end up enjoying the holiday season very much. I think the holidays could be much more enjoyable for everyone if we just talked to our animals and explained what was going on. If we can manage their expectations, they can be a part of the celebrations, instead of adding another element of stress to it.

Many people talk about how their animals behave strangely during the holidays and most of the time, I believe it is because they don't understand what is going on. Their regular routine is changed up and they often feel ill at ease because of it.

Imagine if your spouse brought home bags of "goodies" but told you that you couldn't touch them. Wouldn't that make you extra curious about what was in those bags? What if a bunch of people showed up and decided to spend the night without telling you ahead of time? Wouldn't that potentially put your nose out of joint? Especially if those people set up camp in your bedroom and you didn't know where you were supposed to sleep?

If you put yourself in your animals shoes for a moment, you can better understand how it feels from their perspective. Here are some tips:

If you are bringing a christmas tree into the house, explain to them that it is for decoration. Let them know you are making sure it has plenty of water so they don't feel the need to water it themselves. :-) Explain to them that the things hanging on the tree are not for them to play with or eat. Then make sure they know where the things are that they CAN play with and eat.

If you are going to have a house full of people, let your animals know. Tell them . . . this many people are coming and this is how long they are staying.

If you want your animal to do anything different, please let them know. If your animal is going to have to sleep somewhere where they aren't used to sleeping, tell them that and explain why. Let them know how long this new arrangement will last.

If your animal is used to having quiet time to rest in the house and you know that isn't going to be easy when you have a house full of people, tell them where they can go to be "alone" if that's what they need. Give them a specific room in the house they can go to if they need to "get away from it all."

Include them in the celebration in whatever way you can. Whether that is feeding them at the same time the rest of you all are sitting down to eat so they feel they are having a special meal too, or giving them something to unwrap when the rest of you are unwrapping your gifts, let them know they are part of what is going on too.

I believe the holidays can be happier for all of us - 2-legged and 4-legged alike, if we can set everyone's expectations for how things are going to be different for a few days or weeks. Your animals will thank you - in their own special way!

Reiki and Chemotherapy

Sometimes people think you either need to go "all western" or "all eastern" in your approach to medical care but I have seen the positive effects of using a combination of both eastern and western medicine and it makes me think they can complement each other in many cases. I don't actually think there is a right or wrong way to approach health care. I think what is probably most important is that we do what feels right to US and trust our own instincts.

Earlier this fall, I started giving reiki treatments to a dog who was going through chemotherapy. Her name is Kaya and she is an absolute sweetheart. She is a big, beautiful mix breed dog, with golden retriever, german shepherd and maybe another breed too. She had a large cancerous tumor removed from her hip and the vet recommended chemotherapy. Kaya's mom agreed to do the chemotherapy but decided she wanted to include reiki in Kaya's health regiment as well because she wanted to give Kaya the best chance at recovery. Kaya's mom and I were both hopeful that the reiki would help and at the same time, we were unsure of what it would actually do. We knew we needed to just give it a try and see what the results were.

I have been going to see Kaya the day after each round of chemo, which she receives every three weeks, and so far we are really pleased with how she has been doing. She is still her normal happy self and she gives me such an enthusiastic greeting when I come to see her that I feel like I am "Queen for a Day." Kaya's vet is amazed that she has had none of the normal side effects from chemo. She hasn't lost her appetite, she is not lethargic, she hasn't had any G. I. issues. She is doing exceptionally well. There was one time that her liver enzymes were out of whack, so they decided to hold off on her treatment that week. Kaya's mom had me come and give her a reiki treatment and I focused much of the session on her liver. The next week, when she got her blood work done, everything was back in balance again and she was able to resume treatment.

I know one of the reasons many people opt not to go the chemo route, is because of the side effects and their concern that their animal's quality of life will diminish too much during the treatment. That is one of the reasons it's been so exciting for me to see how much the reiki treatments are helping Kaya through her chemotherapy treatments. It makes me wonder if other animals (and people) would have an easier time going through chemo if they received some energetic support to keep their bodies in balance. After seeing the way Kaya has responded, it certainly fills me with hope that it is a possibility.

Gratitude

With Thanksgiving occurring this week, I found myself thinking a lot about what I was grateful for. Surprisingly, the day I was able to most easily tap into my gratitude was Monday, when I was at a funeral. The mother of one of my best friends from high school passed away and I went to the service they held for her. I know it may sound kind of odd that I felt gratitude on such a sad occasion but it was a very touching experience and I have been reflecting on it all week.

I haven't seen much of my old group of girlfriends in the last twenty seven years. We were all incredibly close in high school, but we slowly drifted apart in the years that followed. Our lives just seemed to take us in different directions. When I heard about Shannon's mom passing away, there was no doubt in my mind that I needed to be at the service, that I needed to be there for her.

I was a little nervous when I first walked into the church, in part because they started with a rosary and I don't know how to do one of those . . . despite my catholic upbringing. My nervousness started to dissipate when I looked around the church and I saw that almost everyone from my old gang had also made sure they were there to lend their support to Shannon on such a difficult day. Life may have taken us in different directions, but when Shannon needed us, we were all there. I slid into a pew next to one of my old friends, Wendy, and after a quiet but heartfelt hello, we sat there respectfully observing the rosary. (Wendy, who was also raised catholic, didn't know how to do a rosary either, which made me feel a little bit better).

During the service, stories were shared about Shannon's mom and there was one story in particular that really touched me because it so accurately and so beautifully described Shannon's mom. She had the biggest heart, and the thing that I always remembered about her was that her kindness occurred without any effort. It was just who she was.

This particular story was about a time their family had gone to a local restaurant for dinner. Their waitress was doing a terrible job, moving as slow as molasses, forgetting what they had ordered, bringing the wrong things to the table, etc. Most people would have been really frustrated by the bad service and would have either complained to management or become short tempered with the waitress but not Shannon's mom.

Instead, she called the waitress over to their table and said, "Honey, are you doing alright?" The waitress's eyes immediately filled with tears and Shannon's mom asked her to sit down at their table and talk to her. The waitress said she'd get in trouble if she sat down, but Shannon's mom was not deterred. She said, "Don't worry, I'll smooth things over with your manager. It looks like you could really use some support right now." Because of the genuineness of her request, the waitress sat down and proceeded to tell Shannon's mom what was going on in her life that had her so upset and distracted. I don't even remember what that part of the story was, probably because it wasn't as important to me. I just remember being in awe as I heard of the kindness Shannon's mom showed the waitress in that moment, when most people, including me, would probably have just be irritated by the bad service.

After they had talked for a while, the waitress was able to get back to work and the service they received from that point on was wonderful . . . and not just their table, but all the tables in her section. She was able to be fully present and do her job well because someone had been present for her. Someone had reached out and let her know that they cared. Even though Shannon's mom was a stranger, her concern was so genuine, it didn't matter that they had never met before.

It's something I will always remember about Shannon's mom . . . she really payed attention to people and she genuinely cared. In the years after college, I battled with my weight quite a bit (I put on the "freshman 15" each year I was in college and I had a tough time taking the weight back off). Whenever I saw Shannon's mom, she would always notice if I had lost weight, even if it was only a few pounds, and she would encourage me to keep taking care of myself. She always "saw you" and she saw you with her heart.

This week, I have been thinking about how grateful I am that there are people like Shannon's mom in this world. She had a positive impact on everyone she came in contact with. She didn't have to "try" to care, it came to her naturally and she made a difference in this world by just being who she was. She probably touched more people's lives than she ever realized and I feel grateful that my life was one of the lives that was touched by her presence.

Following the service, there was a celebration that almost everyone from the church attended. All my old friends from high school gathered together and I couldn't help but feel tremendous comfort and joy to be seeing them all again. We laughed about old times and got caught up on the present. It didn't seem to matter how many years had gone by, we were all just so happy to be together again. At one point, Cece said she felt a little guilty that we were enjoying ourselves so much on such a somber occasion, but I knew Shannon's mom would be happy that we were connecting again and having a good time. I knew she would be pleased that we were all "seeing" one another again.

The experience on Monday helped me reconnect with what is important in life. I was reminded that it's not about the quantity of time you spend with people, but the quality of your time together . . . that it doesn't take much effort to have a truly positive impact on the people you encounter, sometimes, it's as simple as being present and "seeing" them . . . that it is as important to see with your heart as it is to see with your eyes. It also reminded me that the people you don't know are just as important as the people you do know, and that no matter how much time passes, a true friend will always be that . . . a true friend.

On a final note . . . this weekend, I felt inspired to look through some old pictures. During my walk down memory lane, I came across an interesting photo from my childhood. From this picture, it seems as though my dad *did* try to teach me how to do a rosary, although I suppose I might have been too young for the lesson to stick, given that I was only fourteen months at the time.

Even though I was very sad that Shannon's mom had to leave this earth, I am grateful that I had the honor of knowing her, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to be reminded of the beautiful way she carried herself in this world. She is definitely serving as a role model in my life.

Honoring Butch

About a month ago, my friend Sue called me because her dog Butch had suddenly become very ill. He wouldn't eat, he was throwing up constantly and she was really worried about him. To make matters worse, Butch had diabetes and needed daily insulin shots, but if she gave him insulin on an empty stomach, he would have a seizure, so she really needed to find a way to get him to eat, or he could die from not having insulin. She asked me if I would come and give him a Reiki treatment.

Within a couple of days of my first visit with Butch, Sue's veterinarian gave her the worst news a person could receive . . . Butch had cancer that had spread throughout his entire body (the cancer was in so many places, the ultra-sound technician stopped writing down the locations he was finding it in Butch's body) and there were no treatment options. Sue was left with the devastating truth that her sweet boy was going to die and understandably, it felt like the bottom was dropping out of her world.

She wanted to make him as comfortable as possible so we started doing reiki treatments for Butch every other day. Fortunately, the reiki seemed to increase his appetite. It was pretty much guaranteed that he would eat after he got reiki, (and if he ate, then Sue was able to give him insulin), so for that reason alone, we kept up with the frequent reiki treatments.

The thing that was really interesting was that Butch would go into such a deep state of relaxation during a reiki treatment, it was as if he was going into a trance. Sue and I had both watched the video that I posted on my blog, about the wolf who went into a deep trance during energy healing sessions and we were amazed that it seemed Butch was doing the same thing. I could feel from him how much he wanted the energy, how much he wanted to feel better. It was as if he was going into another dimension during the reiki treatments. Something kept telling me I was witnessing something that was beyond my comprehension.

The first couple of weeks were pretty rocky . . . even though Butch was eating more, and was more stable because of the insulin, other strange things were occurring, like the day his back end went out on him while they were out for a walk and some days he had trouble standing up for more than a minute or so. It seemed that every day, there was something different going on, so Sue and I checked in with each other every day to talk about how he was doing. I continued to go over there every other day to give him reiki treatments. We just wanted to give him as much love and support as we could.

After about two weeks, when Sue called to give me an update, she sounded more upbeat. She said "Butch is doing really well. I am interested to see what you think when you come over here tonight." I wasn't sure what to expect but I was completely blown away when I got to her house. Butch greeted me at the door, his tail wagging so much his whole back end wagged and he was sturdier on his feet than he had been in weeks. I couldn't believe my eyes. He was acting like a dog who had never been sick a day in his life.

They invited me to stay for dinner and Butch joined us in the dining room. He ate everything that was offered to him, and when Sue's boyfriend Steve got out some blue cheese for his salad, Butch barked at him to let him know he'd like some blue cheese too. :-) And a little while later, Butch barked as Steve again, as if to say, "I'd like some more please!" (Steve wasn't about to say no, so back to the refrigerator he went) :-) I couldn't explain what we were witnessing, I didn't know what it meant. I just kept telling Sue and Steve to consider it a gift and to enjoy every moment of it.

For the next couple weeks, enjoy it they did! Butch was back to his old self, doing all the things that made them smile, like standing up in the car and sticking his head out the window, barking at passing trucks, eating everything they offered him with gusto, (even regular old dog food), protecting the yard from squirrels, etc. He even resumed one of behaviors that Sue treasured most . . . when she gave him a special treat, he would go out in the backyard and bury it. It was something he had done all his life and the ring of dirt on Butch's nose when he came back in the house always made her smile. Butch hadn't buried anything in a while, but now, he was doing it again and it was bringing her tremendous joy. They went for walks and car rides, they hung out in the backyard and listened to jazz music, they embraced the opportunity they were being given to be together as a happy family.

Last Monday, the miracle we had been witnessing came to an end. Butch was lethargic that morning and he wasn't interested in eating. By Tuesday, his back end was getting weak again. I went that night to give him a reiki treatment and as usual, he went into the deep trance and pulled a ton of energy. Afterwards, he told me that he wasn't sure he was going to be able to pull through but he wanted to try. He said he'd know by the next day if he was going to be able to do it.

When Sue and I talked the next morning, she said he was worse. She stayed home from work because she could feel Butch telling her not to leave the house. I went there that afternoon and she was right, he was getting ready to make his transition. I helped Sue and Butch talk through everything. We explained to him that a vet could come and help him if he needed help and he was ok with that, if need be. I fought back tears as I shared all the things Butch wanted Sue to know . . . that he was sorry that he couldn't fight it anymore . . . how deeply he loved her, etc.

For a while, we just sat there on the floor with him as we talked about what a beautiful gift Butch had been in her life . . . the joy he brought her (she called him her Joy Bug), the way he cared for her and protected her. Several years ago, when Sue had her own battle with cancer, Butch was there by her side to help her through it. She was often bedridden for days after a chemo treatment and Butch would lay there with her, his head resting in the crook of her neck for hours at a time, making sure she knew he was there for her.

The whole time we were talking, Butch kept looking at Sue, with a look of love and adoration that could take your breath away. I could feel how he was savoring the time he had left with the woman he loved most in the world, his mom.

Then all of the sudden, he began to stretch and as he arched his back slightly, I could tell that he was about to go. Sue and I each had a hand on his heart, as she told him how much she loved him. His heartbeat grew faint and then stopped. Just as I was thinking, "Oh god, where is Steve" we heard the door open, and Steve walked into the house. Suddenly, Butch gasped for air and his heart started beating again. We called to Steve and he was able to join us on the floor and say good bye to Butch, before his heart slowed down again and then stopped. I had never witnessed anything like it before . . . clearly Butch couldn't go without seeing Steve one more time.

It was such a deeply moving experience for me. To be there, to witness the depth of his love for his mom and dad, to see how important it was to him that he see his dad one more time, to watch him make his transition . . . it was truly an honor to be there. And at the same time, my heart ached so deeply for Sue and Steve, because I knew what dark days lay ahead for them, as the waves of grief washed over them and they tried to adjust to life without their Joy Bug.

I wish I could explain what happened, during those days where Butch seemed 100% healthy and so full of life. In our conversation before he made his transition, Butch did ask his mom to focus on those fun days, instead of how he was on his last day, so maybe it was part of his plan . . . to make sure his mom and dad had joyful memories to hold on to. For me, I felt like I witnessed a miracle, even if it only lasted a short time, it was still a miracle to me.