Prince Update ~ 8 January 2014: “Connect”
All dogs are pack animals; yet Dachshunds in particular are. There’s a great lesson in how we all inter-relate. My dogs think of me as “just another dog”, albeit head of the pack.
In nature, when one of the pack as ill, the mourning would likely be quick. There’s mostly time to be “in the present”. Yet that cohesiveness of the pack is important to survival. Usually a wolf on its own does not survive, or not for long. It’s such a great lesson for each of us.
We have one difference, though, between us and wolf packs. Usually most animals would not show a weakness, for obvious reasons. Likely would make them vulnerable to death. Too often as humans we consider showing our emotions as a weakness. I believe that sharing our emotions is about sharing ourselves. It says to the other, I value myself enough to be willing to connect with another; and I am willing to trust that you will treat how I am feeling with care. This goes for feelings such as “happy” as well as feelings such as “sad”; the full spectrum.
The way we can connect is by sharing who we really are. This entails knowing ourselves. I’m looking to find the balance of living in the present of how I’m feeling about Prince, and Blaze. I find my moods fluctuating with how Prince is doing .. is he eating, is he getting sick, is he drinking water, what does his stool look like …. ?
I’ve been fortunate to have a number of people reach out; some are people I chat with daily, some periodically, and some are old friends I’m catching up with. Everyone is wonderfully accepting of where I am, in that moment. Each day which passes it’s getting a bit more difficult to stay centered and not worry if “today” is the “beginning of the end” as Prince is eating less, sleeping more, clearly has upper GI bleeding based on his stool which is triggering his anemia so the iron shot has made little difference. Or, if it has, it’s not that noticeable.
I am grateful for all who PM me, who share her, who read, who connect. Thank you. <3 <3
