What a Life
There is no doubt in my mind that humans and animals are creatures of habit. We navigate our way through life with routines and schedules adhering to an invisible agenda that predicts our behavior throughout the day. But dare I say that animals are far more adept at life than humans. Most humans would agree that we are superior to animals. After all, even the Bible states that man has dominion over animals. But is that true, really? If we are superior to animals based solely on the premise that our brains are wired to be critical thinkers, while animals are more instinctual and wired for survival, who would win if it was us vs. them? I suspect there would be winners and losers on both sides, however, the animals may well beat us at our own game. With their innate ability to assess their surroundings, constantly adapt, and then survive despite odds against them, I believe they possess a quality that humans underutilize unless forced to do so or have made a conscious effort to be mindful. Watch any animal long enough, wild or domesticated, and you can’t help but notice their grace and finesse. They have a profound gift of awareness and perspective, which allows them to react in a moment’s notice even when they appear to be resting while the world goes by. Animals appear to live fully in the moment with both remarkable vigilance and calming poise. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to know their secret because I’m either too much of one thing or not enough of the other.
Ebb and Flow
Like most of us, I have settled into my own ebb and flow of daily routines. I am keenly aware of the clock, almost always, as it seems to dictate every aspect of life. I hit the floor running as soon as I wake up each morning. I get dressed, feed the cats, start the coffee, and make myself a cup of tea to start my day. I head into my Reiki room and sit down in my rocking chair. My morning prayer consists of summoning the powers that be to give me strength and patience to get through another day and thanking Him for watching over my children, our pets, families, friends, loved ones, and all the other people and animals in the world. I know it’s a tall order to fill, but I trust God can handle it. On a weekday morning, I only have about 15 minutes to mentally prepare myself for the day ahead, so I try not to get too comfortable as I watch the minutes dwindle away on the clock. It never feels long enough, and I must force myself to keep moving because time doesn’t wait and there’s always a job to do. But today is Sunday, which means I have some wiggle room before the day consumes me.
After tending to my cats, I pour hot coffee into one of my special “weekend” mugs. Yes, I have mugs that are designated “home” days and “work” days because these special mugs are reserved for lounging and lingering. Go ahead and laugh at me, we all have our quirks. My Reiki room is toasty warm, and I snuggle myself under the plethora of fleece blankets I leave draped over my rocking chair. As always, two of my cats are right behind me because they know Mama has some extra time to cuddle today. The incense is burning, my pink light is casting a warm, subtle glow, and all is right in the world for a few precious moments. Jeeter and Ellie waste no time vying for a spot on my lap. The loser reluctantly settles for the treatment table right next to me and eyes me accusingly for allowing such as miscarriage of justice to have occurred. I apologize and pet them both reassuring them there are no favorites in my house. My Reiki room is small. It once belonged to my daughter before she grew up and moved out. It’s my sanctuary now because it’s filled with so many of the things I love. Books a plenty, crystals, essential oils and diffusers, incense, salt lamps, basket upon basket of tarot and oracle cards, keepsakes I have dangling from a strand of garland across a solitary window, framed certifications that remind me how hard I worked to learn my craft, and an assorted collection of angels including snapshots of Willow and Phoebe who joined the ranks of kitty angels much too young but gave rise to passions that helped create my business. Gracing a special spot on one wall is a hand-drawn picture of a willow tree and cat that a lovely, artistic neighbor drew for me when I started The Willow Connection many years ago. I doubt Abbie realizes it, but I am filled with gratitude each time I look at her symbolic artwork. Lastly, my guitar (a gift from a dear friend) that is suspended from the closet door is a constant reminder that I fail to find the time to bring music to her existence or my own. As all of this is spilling onto paper, I realize that I’m filled with a sadness and longing for something I can’t articulate in this moment but brings me to the main point of this blog, which is being aware and mindful of what is happening around us because there are lessons to be learned if we sit still long enough to see them.
The Eye of the Beholder
On this particular Sunday morning, I realized something that escaped me hundreds of times despite looking at it every day. For the first time, I became aware of the bookshelves positioned just a few feet in front of me. I knew they were overburdened with the weight of too many books. Two of the shelves are severely bowed in the middle but somehow manage to absorb the weight I keep thrusting upon them. There is no other place to store them, so I rearrange the books utilizing every bit of space I can find and pray that each additional resource I add to my collection won’t be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. I’ve gone so far as considering a vertical support block in the middle but that would reduce storage space. Needless to say, I ditched that idea pretty fast.
As I sip on my coffee the cats trade places, so I am stuck in the rocking chair until they tire of my attention. I notice all the books today – their titles, colors, and sizes. I do a rough count and confirm I have at least one hundred spiritually-referenced resources. I admire my collection. There isn’t any one that I could part with because they have become a part of me much like the two books that I have my own words published within. My mind wanders a bit as I grasp the amount of knowledge that is held within the pages of these books. I already know that knowledge is power but it dawns on me that it also renders a burden of knowing too. In many ways, these books symbolize my own heart and mind. Within me, I have vast amounts of knowledge both good and bad. Almost 56 years of acquiring and compiling information and experiences. My brain stores it much like a computer stores data. Sometimes it’s easily retrieved and other times, I must engage the search engines to recall details or memories that I may have wanted to forget. I have so many files and chapters open in my brain all the time and many of them I wish I could rip out and delete. If it was only that easy, right? If I could, I’d delete the secrets I’ve had to keep, the promises that were broken, the relationships that were lost, the stupid mistakes, and all the painful learning curves. Yet, without challenges and adversity how does one glean knowledge and wisdom? Humans are born with undefined potential, but one can argue that humans are not born smart or wise – it must be learned. Like animals, we are born innocent and vulnerable to the world around us. We are initially protected by our parents, but they can only protect us so long. Sooner or later we must go out into the world and make our way. Sadly though, humans are stubborn, myself included. We tend to learn things the hard way because we think we have it all figured out. We seldom entertain the idea of taking advice from people who have more life experience such as parents, teachers, or elders. I was recently ridiculed for expressing my heartfelt concern to someone I love very much. “Don’t project your failures onto me. I am happy with my choices, can you say the same?” Ouch! That really crushed me. It echoes in my mind over and over again. It makes me want to cry…for both of us. I guess that is part of the burden of knowing. Sometimes the “knowing” hurts because it can’t help anyone who doesn’t want to be helped or feels they won’t benefit from your life experience. The “knowing” just takes up space in your heart and brain like a forgotten book on a shelf. Only when the book is dusted off and the pages opened and read is it of any worth. I don’t profess to know all the answers to life. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but I’d like to believe that my vault of knowledge is worth something to someone. If it’s not, what is the point of remembering?
Revelations
I guess what I can surmise from this morning’s revelation is that I clearly think too much. I know I feel too much. I get told that all too often. But what does it all mean? I suspect I will never have the innate finesse of an animal to be everything and nothing all at once, but I can try to be more present in each moment instead of rehashing the past or worrying about the future. I am quite certain animals don’t concern themselves with the past or future, so there is a lesson to be learned from them whether we care to accept it or not. My final take on this is that the Universe has impeccable timing. Sometimes we can look at something a million times and never see it. When it’s our time to understand something that can make a difference in our life, the Universe dusts off the right book and opens it up to the right page.
