Love Full Circle
As many of you know, Randy is my beloved sato dog who I rescued almost two years ago from a shelter in New Jersey. Having been a "street dog" from Puerto Rico, Randy came with a lot of baggage! This cute little fellow feared everything - every noise, sound, shadow, person and place. Most especially, Randy was afraid of men! Everything seemed to put Randy in a constant state of "fight or flight." During our first few months together, I spent a lot of time working closely with Randy. I'd share Reiki and communicate with him, trying to appease his fears, and I shared Journey Processes with him, accessing memories held at a cellular level. Randy was making slow, yet steady progress. And although he was still uneasy with some things, Randy was no longer shaking incessantly at everything.
Randy and I had gotten over a lot of humps; yet there was one hump that proved to be very challenging to overcome - seeing other dogs being walked on a leash. One day while walking the picturesque trails of Colorado, we came upon another dog being walked by his owner - on a leash! In typical form, Randy went to react, only this time he reacted more strongly than ever before. Because of his strong reaction, once we were home I immediately shared a Journey Process with Randy. What Randy revealed to me during his process was quite compelling. He showed me that when he sees another dog being walked on a leash, he PERCEIVES the leash as an extension of the dog's tail; thus, he PERCEIVES the human hand holding the leash as grabbing the dog by its tail. This was a trauma that Randy himself had endured before coming into my life and was still holding onto at a cellular level. I was blown away by this insight. So many times I tried to rationalize what Randy was thinking when another leashed dog would approach; he wasn't thinking anything - Randy was FEELING threatened! He was reminded of the feelings when he, himself, was being held mid-air, dangling by his tail, over a pack of dogs similarly being mistreated. During Randy's process, this daunting memory was "swept clean" and a new belief seed was planted - that a leash is a sign of love from an animal's owner...it's one of many ways they seek to protect their beloved animal. It was a pivotal process, and I knew we unleashed something deep! What I didn't know was how fast this process would impact Randy's life.
The very next morning, I took Randy to the same dog park that we always go to. As usual, we saw familiar faces - both human and canine. Only this morning, there was a new man there with his dog, Ruth. Randy immediately took a liking to Ruth; he would run up to her and give kisses and they began to play together. When Ruth's owner attempted to pet Randy, in normal fashion Randy instinctively went to get away....only this time, he didn't run away, he backed away, showing apprehensive interest in "the man." I shared Randy's history with Ruth's owner and told him not to take Randy's behavior personally. With confidence, Ruth's owner told me that someday he'd pet Randy. And so every day, Ruth's owner "worked" with Randy, while I walked laps around the dog park to get my two mile walk in for the day. When Randy and I first started going to the park, Randy would never leave me; he loyally walked right by my side. But with Ruth now in the dog park, Randy wanted to play. First he would only play with Ruth when I was walking nearby her; as soon as I started to walk a little too far, Randy would immediately leave Ruth to faithfully return by my side. Although I encouraged Randy to keep playing, he wouldn't allow himself. Over time though, Randy started to feel safer and more confident. Little-by-little, he would leave my side for longer periods of time.
As Randy and I would approach Ruth and her owner, Randy "suddenly" took a liking to the inviting treats being tossed his way by Ruth's owner (mind you, Randy was never food motivated before). Within days, Randy went from running away in a "fight or flight" state, to being within inches of not only a stranger's hand....yet a man's hand. A hand, which in Randy's mind, was perceived as a weapon.....something used to harm, hit or dangle an animal by its tail. And as Ruth would sit by Randy, Ruth's Dad daily inched in closer and closer to Randy; and before long, Randy started to become even more confident. So much so that one day, as I walked by the picnic table where Ruth and her Dad sat, I saw something that caused my eyes to well with tears. Ruth's owner was petting Randy. Still petting Randy, Ruth's owner quickly searched for me with his eyes, to make sure I saw what I never thought I would see.....the hand of a man petting Randy. What seemed impossible was suddenly very real. Randy had reached a place of such healing and trust, that he no longer lingered by my side when I walked; suddenly, he wanted to run...he wanted to play.....he allowed a man's hand to touch him! Randy has set himself free; so much so, that he now even goes up to people in the park, giving them kisses on their hands. All this stemmed from one Journey Process! Randy now knows the concept of "giving and receiving." He not only allows himself to receive, he also shares the love that he is able to give.
Being a whippet mix, Randy is a FAST runner. He can tear the park up as he leaps through the air and runs in circles. And although he continues to step into his own, Randy never forgets me. In the midst of the greatest playtimes, every now and then Randy searches for me from far across the park. And as soon as his eyes fall upon me, Randy comes dashing straight for me. Whenever I see this, my heart instantly opens, and I kneel to the ground with my arms open wide, welcoming the boundless love that comes barreling towards me. It is the greatest feeling in the world to see boundless love aiming straight for you. How could I pass on the opportunity to be so greatly loved? Running straight towards me, last second Randy veers off to the side, as we both know he'd knock me over with the intensity and speed at which he runs. Circling around my side, dust flying in the air from his strength and speed, Randy looks at me with his loving eyes which say, "I love you Mom, I'm having GREAT FUN!" Then sometimes he immediately runs off to play with a canine friend, while other times, with great devotion, he lovingly walks by my side.
I hope I never take for granted the enormity of love and gratitude that boundlessly comes running up, meant solely for me. I can only equate it to the way a mother or father must feel when their child comes running straight for their arms; or the way a wife feels when she sees her beloved husband safely disembarking a military plane, as they run into the comfort of each other's embrace; or the way that it feels when a couple has been separated and despite all odds, is reunited. To feel that love come running up at you, to feel love coming full circle, is the most amazing feeling in the world. It's even FAR better than ice-cream (and those who know me, know how much I love ice-cream)! And so I ask, are you open to love? Are you truly open to love? Do you take time to open yourself up, to truly receive it? Do you allow yourself to feel it? I could mindlessly keep walking my laps in a rush to finish and let Randy run right by me, ignoring his adoration; yet if I don't stop and open my being up to his love, that love will zip right by me, and I'd miss out on a most incredible and priceless gift. Having felt it, having experienced it, makes me only want it more and more. And so I choose to pause, and open myself to boundless love. A love, that's come full circle.
Shine Even Brighter:
I encourage you to reflect upon one or all of the following for your own personal growth:
- Have you been so preoccupied that life, or love, has been passing you by?
- Is there something that you've been asking for, that you think has been far from reach? Could it be that it's possibly right there waiting for you to receive it?
- Remember to "give and take." In order to receive what you want, first be willing to share it.
- Do you tend to take love for granted? If so, I encourage you to nurture the love that you already have in your life - especially begin with the love that is inherently you!
Copyright Protected - 2010
