I have been going through the stories of my book “Finding Home” which includes stories about the animals I have drawn and the impact those close encounters have had on me. It is because of these beautiful creatures big and small that I have been able to heal and move forward. There have been many times when just the fleeting movement of a hummingbird, or the presence of a wolf or coyote have inspired me to look past what was troubling me. The animals, birds and nature in general have been a tremendous help, allowing me to find my way through some tough days.
As many others have done, I have hopped from one job to the next, sometimes doing two or three jobs in a day. My focus has been to survive and try to find a way to entire one day. I used to joke that I’d die serving a tray of beer, or I be making my own funeral arrangement as I collapsed. Unfortunately it seem a real possibility. There is a song called “Molly in the Mirror” by Joshua Kadison (link will be put on facebook for any who would like to listen) where he is talking about an old woman who wanted to travel, but somehow just never managed it. “……Old woman, old woman what have you done with your life”……I have listened to this song many times believing that I would find myself in the same place as Molly, wondering what have I done with my life. This is important and also connected to the animals and nature because of where I sit today.
I am still in awe for being in this magical place, being allowed to live here in this way, something I had dreamed about, but could not imagine being possible. I have been given the quiet moments after so many years of running from them, in which to reflect on the many beautiful moments in my life. This can often be something we forget to do as we are rushing from A to B each day. As I read the stories from my book I am given time to absorb the beauty of some of those experiences as well as some of the sorrow and heartache. While I was going through many of those experiences, there was no time to think about what was happening or give them the time needed to understand the reasons. There was just getting through the day as best as you could, one day at a time. This is such an incredible gift I have been given and I am happy to share such moments as this….
Excerpt from “Finding Home”
“……In the summer I spend as much time as possible outside, and this particular day we were sitting on the deck enjoying a cool drink while our dog, Hawk, was laying on the grass under the shade of the tree. Then along comes Tig. He scampered all around the yard, up the tree and back down again. Hawk didn’t pay him much mind, falling in and out of sleep. He would never harm another animal, although he would be upset had Tig threatened his personal food supply.
While enjoying this dynamic we were completely taken by surprise when Tig hopped right up to Hawk and kissed him on the nose, then scampering on his merry way. Hawk opened his eyes, watched him go and then fell back to sleep. It was wonderful to see this display of trust between what could be considered natural enemies……”
Tig was the little squirrel that came to visit me every day while living in Prince Albert. Hawk was our American Eskimo that was a constant source of joy and frustration, a beautiful soul that I still miss on days like this.
There are so many gifts all around us if we just have the eyes to see them. In my mind there is a place for everything in this world, we just have to understand this and accept the idea that everything has meaning. But this is a choice which I also understand has to be respected. I am just so grateful for the many blessings I have because I was willing to open my eyes at a certain point of my life and see how beautiful the world is. For this day, sitting here enjoying the peace and beauty around me I feel gratitude and love.
0 Comments