The Spirit of Things

Say the word spirit and a whole host of images probably come to mind. For me the image is the spirit or energy of beings or things that come up. We often comment about the human spirit or the spirit of an animal. How many have you heard a persons comment on a specific animal as being very "spirited" or having a "strong spirit"? Take a look at the animals who you live with and consider what kind of spirit they have. Are they mischievous or serious? Are they stubborn or one that goes with the flow? Or are they just like you in many ways and if they are how do they reflect back who you are.

My three girls are each a reflection of me. Addison is my fat and happy homebody, she is most content when she has a full stomach and can just stay home and sleep. Maggie is my intuitive. She is sensitive to others feelings whether it is a person or another animal. She is beginning to get the dreaded "silver eyes" and yet as that is happening her other senses are heightening. Maggie loves to be out and about, connecting with people and enjoys the freedom of being outdoors. When I worked at my friend Stacy's pet store in Bel Air Maggie would accompany me to work and to say she was in her element is an understatement! She was allowed to help greet the people as they came and went from the store. Stacy's dog's Sunny and Drake are there at the store everyday and Maggie gave them a break from their duties when she was there. There were no "leash" rules when we were there. She was free to go in and out as she pleased. Now my third dog is fairly new to me so I am still seeing where she fits in. My one friend just calls her the "princess" although I don't totally agree with that there is some truth there. Takla is the youngest and most active of the three. She too prefers to stay home. Being a little dog she thinks she is really a big dog and will pretty much mouth off to anybody no matter what the size. Maybe that is the connection. She voices her opinion, even against the big guys.

Three different dogs and three different spirits within each body. I have seen all types of spirits within animals. There are the "broken" spirits also. They break my heart but their spirit still lives deep within. These are the puppy mill dogs. I have had several in my life, they came to me through foster care. They may have had their spirit broken but love, nurturing and a whole lot of patience helped them reclaim their spirit and live fairly normal lives.

Honor those individual spirits you have living with you. You each chose to be in each others lives. In understanding who they are we get a better insight as to who we are.

Happy Trails!
Sherry