On the weekend, I spent time with a teacher and friend who has mastered being in the moment. It was an honour to spend time with him, and I'd love to share a little more about him.
Well… he's the very best boy! A rescue dog from Texas named Frankie.
My friend Barb has had him for a few years now, and while I was pet-sitting, I gained a new best friend. Frankie is a sensitive soul. We are both empaths, so we naturally have a soul-to-soul connection. We get each other.
When Barb got Frankie, he was very anxious and scared, but over time, he changed with her love, the love of others, and being in a safe environment. It is no different than when we are loved and feel secure. We can relax, feel at peace, and live our lives authentically.
As I said, Frankie is a master at being in the moment and was indeed in his element on our walks. I had a perma-grin on my face the whole time.
He was so into it—smelling the smells and hearing the sounds. When we met a dog he was curious about, he would walk over to sniff them, and others he just walked on by. I love that! He's not trying to be anything other than who he is.
We'd walk by geese, and some of them would hiss because there were goslings. No worries, he keeps on trucking.
Then, when he's home, he's on the back porch just watching and listening, waiting for the next opportunity when a squirrel runs by.
“An animal’s eyes have the power to
speak a great language.”
~ Martin Buber
Frankie is so present and entirely himself with no apologies. He should be the teacher at our next retreat. I'll have to ask him if his schedule is free. He might be convinced with more walks and tasty bones.
I talk about being present, writing about it, and practicing it. Animals are the greatest example of living it, and I believe we benefit from being around them for this reason (aside from their extreme cuteness).
Frankie's enthusiasm and excitement brought me so much joy. Walking him through my old neighbourhood, waving at the people we passed who were outdoors enjoying themselves, made me feel so alive.
So now I'm thinking, should I get a dog? Hmm, maybe not yet, but dog-sitting is perfect.
Are there any animal lovers out there? Not just dogs. Please send me pictures of your fur babies! You know you want to. Tell me your stories. I'm all in.
With love,
Diane