A Very Good Friend
Posted on November 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
When you are living end-stage pet hospice for the first time, you will wonder about making The Decision. Your friends who have experienced this will supportively assure you that you will know when it’s time, and great comfort is found in that.
They lie.
Go easy on them, they don’t mean to. They mean it in a seasonal way, an end-of-an-era way. But not an in-the-moment way. I found relief and comfort in therefore believing that I would know when it was time to make that call to the vet, like flipping a light switch. It’s really more like flipping a calendar page.
And that’s okay. I just would have liked to understand that at the time, maybe I would have spared myself an amount of self-imposed confusion and grief.
Then again, likely not.
So if you are currently living end-stage pet love, you have my sincere empathy. Knowing when it is time to make the heart-contorting decision is very grey area, moment by moment. Take comfort that you will know when it is the season for it, if not the day. Or the week.
You will question yourself for far too long and yet at the same time for not questioning long enough. You will feel guilty for both considering making the call, as well as for having waited to do so.
And your very good friend loves you no less throughout. We go through angst as they gift us with sharing this rich experience. Honor both by giving more importance to the treasures than the pain.
That is also a very good friend.
Sadie
2000-2013
Good Dog
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- With help from hospice, Dad didn’t go gentle into that good night (denverpost.com)
- HOSPICE – Dispelling The Myth (gskpulsevolunteers.com)
- Passion, Play and Prayers going up on this day! (drses.wordpress.com)
- The Call For Hospice (thepurplejacket.com)
- Movement 31 – Unexpected Friendship (divineorchestrations.wordpress.com)
- But a Best Friend Will… (livelaughlyrics.wordpress.com)
- How to be a good friend -without losing the plot (lifebooksandcats.wordpress.com)
- Friendship (matasjohana.wordpress.com)
Real Love
Posted on November 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
Read the whole beautiful post: The Real Truth about ‘Boring’ Men — and the Women who Live with Them: Redefining Boring
Wisdom from Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience:
“Let everyone do their talking about 50 shades of grey, but don’t let anyone talk you out of it: commitment is pretty much black and white. Because the truth is, real love will always make you suffer. Simply commit: Who am I willing to suffer for?”
Don’t let the part about always suffering scare you. Think about it: you lose someone you love, and you suffer their loss. Yet you would never have traded away your time together.
And as Lissa Rankin reminds us, “and know that when you give people permission to break your heart, sometimes they will.” This comes with advisement to discerningly let down our guard, letting those to whom we commit see our beautiful imperfections.
Who am I willing to suffer for?
What an amazing way to see it. I love the clarity, in black and white.
Be the Best You
Posted on November 11, 2013 1 Comment
“Be the best caterpillar you can be until you are called upon to be something different.” —Rev. Dr. Bob Luckin
November 2013 Daily Guides, Science of Mind
Assertiveness for Earth Angels
Posted on November 11, 2013 2 Comments
I repeatedly passed over selecting Assertiveness for Earth Angels: How to Be Loving Instead of “Too Nice” of the available titles from Hay House’s Book Nook blogger program before finally deciding on it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Doreen Virtue’s work–I just didn’t feel I qualified as an Earth Angel.
Then I read the preview. The Table of Contents alone had me hooked, so I downloaded the book and began to read.
Has she been following me around?!? Right from the preface, I completely resonated with what I read, and this book was helpful and supportive all the way through.
The book is divided into four sections. The first three explore maintaining boundaries while still being true to yourself through the scopes of personal, in relationship, and with the world. The fourth section provides supportive ongoing life guidance and tools.
That’s the layout of the book, here’s its heart:
This book will help you identify and maintain your own boundaries, while at the same time remaining of service to others and causing no harm.
If that sounds at all interesting, or if it makes you think of someone you know, go get this book right now. It is God’s voice moving through, let it happen.
I was gifted this book by Hay House in exchange for my honest opinion of it. No FTC disclosures were harmed in making of this review. 😉
Related articles
- Assertiveness for Earth Angels by Doreen Virture (lovetoread8.wordpress.com)
- Earth Angels and how to be assertive and loving, instead of too nice (kevinhunter.wordpress.com)
- New “Earth Angel” Collection of Sacred Crystal Necklaces (bluedragonjournal.com)
- Earth Angels (illuminations2012.wordpress.com)
The Heart of the Matter
Posted on October 24, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Heart of the Matter: A Simple guide to discovering gifts in strange wrapping paper is a collaboration by Dr. Darren Weissman and Cate Montana, M.A., and I was given this book by Hay House in exchange for my honest opinion of it. If you are familiar with Dr. Weissman’s LifeLine Technique, this book is the See-Feel-Hear Challenge in a nutshell. If you are not familiar with this, don’t worry–I wasn’t either and I still gained much!
In all honesty I don’t think I ever fully grasped the See Feel Hear Challenge the exact way the authors would have intended me to. I did, however, enjoy a profound awareness that awakened within me because of reading this book–so I think that still counts!
1. Ask myself the truth question. I am now more tuned in to observing when my body is talking to me through a negative symptom, whether it’s a headache or judgmentalism. Since I am able to choose the creation of my life, would I ever consciously choose to experience this? “Hell, no!” (That’s Chapter 2, by the way.)
2. Set my intention. Am I ready, willing, and able to change what I have just identified through my truth question? “Hell, yes!” (That’s Chapter 3.) In my intention I focus on where I want to be instead of what I want to change–as if I were already there. Immersed in the feeling of the desired result is where we want to be, folks–claim it now.
3. Give each emotion its attention. When going through Hell no! and Hell yes! emotions become more easily identified. By being identified, they seem to increase in number–in fact, at times similar to a zombie horde–but that’s just because we can finally see what is already there anyway. Allow each to have its say, and listen. Each one is a learning gift, and the only way they will eat you alive is if you ignore them.
This book helps readers to connect our experiences, emotions, and subconscious messages–and thus to move through them, positively. Whether you are beginning this concept for yourself or consider yourself a seasoned practitioner, you will grow from reading this book.
Remember that everything you hope to become, you already are. Claim it by feeling it now, instead of waiting to see if it happens in the end.
gina drellack 