Some of my best spiritual teachers have been my dogs…..How about you? What do you learn from your pets? I’ve learnt so much over the years from caring for dogs and cats. The First Nation Elder who taught me in September said that God told them that our main teachers are our animals, birds, fish and plants. I guess I’m in traditional company when I’m learning from my dog!

Last week when Finnegan and I were walking in the ravine with other neighbourhood dogs he became my teacher once again. He says ‘Hello’ to almost every dog he meets. He stops, does his smelling thing and then moves on. As he does that, I usually greet the one who is walking with the other dog. Sometimes it’s a simple ‘Hello’, sometimes it becomes a conversation.

As Hugh and I have been walking Finn for these last three months we’ve started to connect with the dog community in our neighbourhood. Anyone with a dog will stop to greet, and often people without dogs will pause too because our Finn is so great!  I realized we do this, because the dogs do it. They usually greet each other.

Imagine if we humans behaved in such a friendly fashion to other humans that we meet. Oh we don’t need to put our ‘nose into everyone’s business’…..but pick up a bit more of dog friendliness! I might greet people on my neighbourhood street, but turn the corner onto Yonge Street and I don’t greet people. Could I keep more eye contact happening? Could I keep more good-thoughts-towards-all happening?

We’re all in this together. Can we be open and interested in one another, honoring each other? We are all human beings on a journey together.

If this is helpful to you, please show support by sharing it with a friend. Let’s broaden the contemplative pathway.

Love and prayers

Anne+

Contemplative Fire Community Leader Canada

Mystic in Motion