Today as I was driving 60mph on a back road to work in the UK, I stumbled upon a cow that seemed to be walking leisurely down the road. I slowed down, the cow veered to the left and kept going. I felt as if I was transformed to India, a place I have never visited, but seen images of cows amongst the streets and city life. I hoped the cow was okay, he/she had tags on it’s ears. Farms were close by. I am sure there is some form of symbolism to this, which may reveal itself. But it’s been an interesting time with me and animals these past several weeks.
Two weeks ago, after a one week holiday to Greece, I walked onto the second floor of my home and heard a noise. I saw two eyes staring at me. It was an intruder, but not a burglar. It was a pigeon who flew into my home and was stuck, flapping it’s wings in distress. Who knows how long the bird was there for? Bird poop was all over the room. After being shocked and frozen, I was able to find ease and guide the bird onto my hand and out the window. If a bird pooping on your shoulder was good luck, perhaps a bird flying through your chimney, and pooping dozens of times in your home was a dozen blessings.
And then there are my two dogs, who are now 10 and 12 years old. One has had numerous visits to the vets recently, but luckily has been healing with grace. I am revering every moment I have with them and have residual guilt when leaving for work. The more time I spend with them, they simply seem to request more with their sad eyes, growls, or touch. Eckhart Tolle calls pets “guardians of our presence.” They truly are the protectors of our sacred attention.
We are inhabiting the world with all these animals. And although we, as humans, are kings and queens of the Earth kingdom, these tiny unexpected interactions with animals ground and humble us. They take us out of our busy technological world to remind us to slow down and share the space with them. There’s still a wildness to be found in our modern world. I’ve observed foxes crossing the parks in London, a hedgehog that hopped into my yard, deers that wander, and dragonflies that dance by my post office.
Pause to observe the beauty of all living things around you. And perhaps allow your paws to bring you away from the electronic screen and to those that share your atmosphere.
It Only Takes A Smile 