Romeo

I have been going back through my journals and writings, reading my entries about Romeo during our first year together.  It was not an easy time for us …our relationship started out on rocky ground.  And yet, even then there was the deep desire to connect…to develop a bond that went beyond the typical horse/human relationship…we both felt it.

In revisiting these memories, I am reminded of how important it is to trust the journey we embark upon when we decide to bring an animal into our lives.  There are absolutely no coincidences; each and every time we create a relationship with a beloved animal, we invite them to teach us their lessons.  At times, our animals may seem like just our four-legged friends, but have no doubt:  there is always a gem hidden within that relationship.  Whether the lessons they bring to us are to take place while they are on this earth and/or after they leave it, be open and ready for those gifts of awareness.  It is their ultimate offering to us.

Romeo

It is in the letting-go that we surrender…..we return to center.  And it is sometimes the letting go of those we cherish most that brings us the most profound lessons.  During the numerous animal communication sessions in which I have worked with animals and humans who are dealing with the passing of a loved one there are always astounding revelations and resolutions hidden within the experience.

Now more than ever, I find myself in the midst of such things as I navigate my way through the loss of my Romeo.  As I release the longing to be with him, hug him, give him kisses, breathe in his scent…I surrender to the experience of feeling him on a completely different dimension.  A dimension that is as tangible as putting my arms around him, yet which requires tremendous faith and quietude because of it’s subtle and sometimes elusive accessibility.

In surrendering, we create new stories and new experiences.  I am looking forward to the new stories and experiences my beloved boy is bringing to me,even as he runs free in spirit.

Amazing Grace

Passing…Such an appropriate name for what happens when we pass from one existence into another.  My beloved Romeo passed yesterday.  An unexpected and swift exit from this world into the next…..severe colic or perhaps a stroke.  I was thankfully with him when he took his last few breaths.  I laid down in the dirt next to him, my arms around his big body, my head laying on his.

Last night as I struggled to sleep, I drifted awake and heard the wind chimes on our back deck.  Tuned to the melody of”Amazing Grace” they usually play a variation of that beautiful song, depending upon how the wind moves them.  I looked out the window and realized, there was no wind.  The leaves on the huge tree outside our bedroom were still.  I listened….there were three distinct notes played, a pause, then again and again…the same notes each time.  I thought of Romeo and heard in my mind’s heart “I Am Here”, the words perfectly timed to the notes.  This continued for several hours.  I would drift into a semi-sleep and then be awakened by the chimes.  The same notes…the same words.

What an amazing gift from my beloved boy.  Now every time I hear those chimes, I will think of him.  He will be with me, reminding me that amazing grace is timeless, as is the love he and I share.

Bella the Hunter

Our dog Bella loves to go to the Ranch where Romeo lives….it’s filled with new smells, horse poop, and best of all gopher holes.  She can’t get enough of it.  Each and every gopher hole is a new adventure, an invitation to dig like crazy and uncover the source of that exotic scent.  

When she is at the Ranch, she is in complete canine mode. That endearing, adoring little girl dog who loves to get belly rubs and cuddle on her bed while I work in my studio is replaced with a full blown, prey driven animal who is hell-bent on one thing: the hunt.  It’s times like these when I am reminded that animal communication includes seeing the world through their eyes. When we embrace them for who they are in all their canine (feline, equine) glory…no matter how different they may be from us, we begin to embrace the art of true communication.

My Romeo

Have you ever had an animal friend show up in your dreams?  For several months before I found my Romeo I had multiple dreams about a horse who was looking for me.  In my dreams it was a white mare who was difficult to handle, had an injury to her front leg and would come only to me for help.  As it turned out, Romeo is a chestnut gelding with lameness issues in his front feet.  I have stood by him when others have given up, helping him overcome his difficulties; our close bond is other-worldly.

Dreams are powerful vehicles through which we can communicate with not only the animals who may be finding their way to us, but those with whom we already share our lives.  Stay open to your dreams…even if they don’t make sense at the time, their symbols and feelings are speaking deeply to your soul.

Let's Play

Animals, like people thrive on a healthy lifestyle.  Plenty of fresh air, exercise and good food is essential for their well being.  Fortunately for our domesticated four-legged family members, there is now so much more awareness about what it takes to help them live long, healthy lives.

To ensure that your best friend is not only healthy but happy, make sure play time is an integral part of your relationship with them.  Spend time playing with them everyday, even if it’s just for 5 or 10 minutes.  Those special times when you are both having fun and simply enjoying each others company for the joy of it will add years to not only your beloved friends’ life, but to yours as well.

Oscar Enjoying His Perch

When my husband Bill and I moved into our home 10 years ago, we installed a shelf in the kitchen, above the sliding glass door where I could display some of my favorite Mexican pottery.  Years later after we adopted our Orange Boys Oscar and Felix, they liked to jump up on the shelf from their nearby cat tree.  Needless to say, most of the pottery was knocked off…..a sure message from them that they’d prefer to have the shelf as a cat perch.  So we made it into just that…a shelf lined with soft blankets and cat beds for them to get up high and take naps. 

Napping above the world

Granted, most people would label us nuts for not being upset about the broken pottery.  We on the other hand, thoroughly enjoy seeing how much the boys love their little retreat above it all.

Jason

For animals, thoughts are their words.  Like silent whispers, thoughts live on an energy frequency that is easily understood by animals.

I remember an animal communication session years ago in which a golden retriever said her human mom was “loud” and therefore really hard to communicate with.  I knew the woman didn’t speak in a loud voice, so after asking the dog to help me better understand what she meant, I realized that because the woman’s mind was always so filled with a cacophony of thoughts, all going on at the same time (like most of us who are thinking about a bazillion things at once, our thoughts rarely quiet)….the dog described her as loud.  All those racing thoughts made it impossible for the dog to really ‘hear’ her or to communicate with her.

Being aware of our thoughts and learning how to quiet our mind is key to understanding the power of telepathic communication

Romeo

There are times when life tests us to the max….when our faith in a positive outcome is put on the line.  The past few weeks have been that for me as my horse Romeo faces recovery from laminitis and I deal with a rotator-cuff injury.  I’ve had to hire a (wonderful) groom to manage my beloved Romey’s daily care while I stand humbly by, my arm in a sling….feeling guilty and frustrated that I am letting us both down…my heart breaking as I watch him shift his weight to avoid the pain in his feet.

Wanting to give my boy reassurance, I was finally able to have a heart to heart talk with Romeo yesterday in which he reminded me that he doesn’t know the outcome of this current challenge any more than I do.  But what we do have is a most profound bond of the heart….a connection that goes beyond anything of this earth and which allows us both to trust in the universe.

This trust is how animals live their daily lives…never questioning an outcome.  They remind us daily that we too can live within that trust.

Bella

Whenever I schedule an animal communication session with a companion dog or cat (or other family pet who lives in close quarters with their human household), I remind everyone involved that animals don’t keep secrets.  They will share details about the private comings and goings of their fellow human family and they are astute observers of  hidden emotions.

Many times when someone calls for an appointment…concerned about their companion, it is the dog/cat who is really needing the session.  Our beloved furry companions absorb household energy…many times taking on more than we may realize.

Check in with your beloved friend on a regular basis.  Let them know they are cherished. Tell them they don’t always have to take care of the whole family.