We take care of things. That is what we do best. Sometimes, as life moves forward at it's relentless pace we forget to take care of ourselves, and the ones closest to us. There is simply too much to do to worry about little things like, "am I okay?"
It seems like all of a sudden everything slows down, and what we have built doesn't seem like all that much. In our little kingdoms of things the most important possession we have is never something that can be touched, measured, given away or sold. What matters most is the relationships we forge as we move along life's journey.
We may be able to touch and hold the physical forms that we share our world with, but a body is an empty vessel until infused with thoughts and feelings, acceptance and love. The best way to fill that vessel is by sharing ourselves with another person or animal. It is miraculous when given a chance how electric the connection between two living creatures becomes, building in current, taking on enough energy to feed an empty soul with the nourishment needed to become fully alive.
Feeling a little empty? Don't waste another second! Connect with somebody. Nurture a friendship that is losing steam. Adopt a pet, Take charge of the relationships in your life. Without you, there can be no connection. Without connections, things fall apart. We are all in this together, so reach out and touch someone!
We sat outside, Mr. Wilson and I
while Cheryl got lunch ready, and I was able to sit on an Adirondack chair in
my new backyard that seemed like mine for the first time in years, fully
content and happy to simply watch my new friend wander around his new home.
Whether or not he realized he was here to stay I do not know, but I like to
believe that at some instinctual level he knew, and he relaxed a little, and
knew that his days of wandering were over. I closed my eyes and looked toward
the sun, feeling the warmth, knowing that winter was over, and spring would
soon give way to summer, and I had everything I had ever wanted. Living a life
beyond my wildest dreams became a reality once I learned to appreciate the
small things, and my dreams became grounded in reality, and that reality when
seen, and felt and experienced honestly, taking time to use all five senses;
seeing the beauty of a little dog chasing bugs in my yard, hearing the chatter
of birds as their yearly mating season reaches its climax, feeling the sun on
the skin of my face, arms and hands, warming me emotionally and physically,
smelling the faint traces of spring, the earth has its own aroma that changes
with the seasons, even winter, but spring is by far the most fragrant, and
tasting…well, nothing there yet, but lunch was on the way!
Smack dab it the middle of my happy to be alive moment an assault on
each and every one of my senses appeared. I felt before I saw a twelve pound
weight on my chest, then in vivid detail the memory of each and every hamster I
have ever known came flooding back as the nostalgic wood shaving aroma filled
my space, and I tasted dirt on my lips as Mr. Wilson frantically licked my
face, and I heard myself laughing, really laughing, belly laughing, laughing
like I haven’t laughed in years, laughing so hard my face muscles hurt.
We had found home, Wilson and me, and it was a good, honest place, a
place where laughter came easily. I felt Cheryl watching us from inside the
house, and felt her smile as well. It had been a long time between belly laughs
for both of us, and the little creature who Cheryl had introduced into our
lives was already making our lives better.
