‘Til Death Do Us Part

Anyone who has ever lost a beloved fur child knows all too well the pain when they leave us to cross over the rainbow bridge.  They bring so much love and joy to our lives and leave us all too soon.  If you’re very blessed, you have a lifetime of happy memories to cling to once they are gone.  You have a photo album of precious puppy photos (for the purpose of this blog I’ll stick to the canine types, although the felines are no less important members of our families!)  and then many happy memories as they grew older with you and your family.  You can still remember the triumphant feeling of the first time they went potty outside by themselves, sat for a cookie, or maneuvered the stairs by themselves.  As they began to age, they might have slowed down, but they remained faithful companions – always greeting you with a wagging tail at the end of a long day.  Most likely, for as long as you can remember, they were there for you – providing unconditional love.  And once they are gone, there’s an emptiness in your heart that no amount of comforting words – or chocolate ice cream – can repair.

For those of us in rescue, most especially those who bring the grey muzzles into our lives, there are no puppy pictures to cling to, no memories of watching them grow into their feet or first birthdays celebrated.  Our joy with these precious old souls is measured in moments rather than years.  We never knew them as young, energetic, carefree pups – most come to us somewhat broken and battered, but with an amazing spirit and capacity to love and be loved.  They steal our hearts the moment we lay eyes on their sweet white or grey faces, and we rejoice at the slow wag of their tails as they realize they are safe and loved.  Many ask us, “how can you open your heart to these old souls knowing they will leave so soon?” and we answer quite simply, “how can we not?”.

Today I said goodbye to one of the sweetest, most loving grey muzzles that I’ve had the honor to meet and love.  Otis was dumped at a rural high kill shelter, condemned to die simply because he was old and no longer convenient to the people he had loved and trusted his entire life.  My dear friend Mary saved Otis from certain death, and another generous heart, Linda, assisted her with his vetting (which was extensive), promising to transport him from South Carolina to her home in Florida to live out his years if he didn’t find his forever home.  And yet another friend with a courageous heart, Kim, took him into her home as a foster.  We all prayed that Otis would find the loving forever home he deserved.

Several months ago Otis accompanied us on a weekend trip to the beach.   The main purpose of this was to see how he did on the long staircase leading up to the house as he had previously been in one story buildings and there was a family interested in adopting him, but they had a two story home.  The first night he froze when encountering the stairs – Mary and I offered treats, encouragement and cheering, but no go – Otis was petrified and Mary carried him up and down the stairs.  That first night, being the ‘softie’ that I am, I picked him up and placed him on my bed, he seemed unsure at first, but once I climbed in next to him, he snuggled up close, let out a deep happy moan and slept with his head next to my pillow.  We had several happy cuddling moments in the morning before getting out of bed, and then tried the stairs again.  Still no success.  Later that afternoon we tried the stairs again and this time he ventured down, but wouldn’t walk back up.  That night he slept spooned next to me again, his contented sighs lulling me to sleep.  The next morning I took him out to go potty, he went down the stairs and when it was time to walk back up again I didn’t look back, I just started up the stairs (slowly) and little by little, one step at a time, Otis followed.  I swear I could hear the theme song from Rocky when we reached the top step!  He did it!  Otis was so excited, his tail was wagging and he seemed to have a bit of a bounce in his step!  I have tears in my eyes just thinking of that proud and happy moment.

To make a long story short, Otis never did find his forever home.  The prospective adopters were not a good fit and so Otis stayed with his foster mom Kim and lived happily with his foster siblings, Laverne and Shirley, two little Yorkies.

This week, Otis began to noticeably slow down.  I saw him on Monday afternoon and he wasn’t his usual affectionate self, I could tell he was happy to see me but it was as if it required too much energy to even wag his tail or walk across the room to sit by my feet.  Mary took him to the vet and as suspected, his body was beginning to shut down, broken and tired from years of probable neglect.  He was heartworm positive, was going into kidney failure and the vet suspected that cancer had set in.  Otis underwent a battery of tests although none of us really needed to wait for the results, we knew in our hearts that the end was near.

Mary says goodbye to her beloved grey muzzle, Otis

Early this afternoon Mary called me, Otis couldn’t stand up and she knew the time had come.  I grabbed my keys and got in the car to meet her at the vet before they closed for the weekend.  One look at Otis when I saw him in the parking lot and I knew, Otis was ready to go to the rainbow bridge.  He had known 8 months of love and to him it was a lifetime.  All the pain from his past neglect was erased, Otis knew he was loved and treasured as he drew his last breath.  Mary and I sat on the floor, stroking his soft fur as he quietly laid his head down and closed his eyes.  There is something very sacred about being with these amazing souls as they leave this earth.  Yes, it’s sad and painful and many tears are shed, but it’s also an honor to sit with them as they begin their journey to the rainbow bridge.

As Mary and I stood hugging in the parking lot after Otis was gone, it occurred to me that rescuing these precious grey muzzles is much like entering into a marriage.  From the moment we save them, we make the commitment to love, honor and cherish them.  In sickness and in health, through richer and poorer (most often the later in rescue!) – ‘til death do us part.  It is a sacred commitment and one we rescuers take seriously.  It’s an unspoken oath that we will never let one of these beloved souls go to the rainbow bridge alone.  That is our solemn vow and in return they give us unimaginable love and joy – for as long as we are blessed to have them in our lives.

Run free Otis.  You are deeply loved and will live on in our hearts and memories forever.

Many blessings,

Melissa

Happy Friday the 13th!

I originally posted this back in January – and here we are just three months later with our second Friday the 13th this year!  I’m re-posting for those of you who missed it the first time – enjoy and celebrate Friday the 13th!

 

For as long as I can remember Friday the 13th has always been a lucky day for me.  When I was younger, some of my best dates were had on this day of the year and I’ve always felt a certain sense of anticipation when a Friday the 13th was approaching!  Maybe that’s because I’ve always been one of those people who refuses to believe in bad luck or anything that is ‘icky’ or dark.  (I once had a therapist tell me that all I wanted to see was the ’pretty’ side of life and that I needed to explore the darker corners of my mind and emotions.  WHY would I possibly want to do that??? – OK, so that’s a topic for another day.)

Back to Friday the 13th … about 15 years ago – yikes! – I read a wonderful book by Marianne Williamson, “A Woman’s Worth”, and in it she describes this much feared day so beautifully:  “We are used to thinking of Friday the thirteenth as bad luck.  In fact Friday the thirteenth was the day the witches gathered.  When the patriarchal system, headed by the early church, began to squelch the power of women, witches were deemed evil, and many great women were deemed witches.  Their meeting time, then, was seen as bad luck rather than as what it truly was:  a time for women to gather and share energy and pray together and heal.”  Those words resonated deep within me and from that day forward I’ve always CELEBRATED Friday the 13th – sometimes with other witches – empowered women! – and sometimes quietly alone, lighting a candle and honoring my inner witch, Goddess and Wonder Woman!

I did this collage several years ago and have shared it with very few.  Actually, I had forgotten about it until today when I was mulling over my thoughts on Friday the 13th and what I was going to write in this blog.  It seems appropriate that I finally throw caution to the wind and expose my inner Wonder Woman today for all the world (or however many might read this post) to see!

My Inner Wonder Woman

If you’re a woman reading this today, I hope that I’ve inspired you to honor your greatness and all that you have to give to the world – and yourself!  And by chance, if there are any of the male types reading this – surprise the witch/Goddess/Wonder Woman in your life by honoring her today, show her how grateful you are for everything she brings to your life each and every day!

Right now, more than ever, the world  needs feminine energy – our compassion, empathy, tenderness, strength and magic!

Blessings,

Melissa

Hopelessly Lost

I am exhausted … completely wiped out and I don’t feel that I’ve gotten much of anything done today. I’ve been hopelessly lost in social media hell … I’ve Facebooked, tweeted, pinned and Etsied (don’t know the technical term for listing on Etsy!) and now I’m wrapping up my day with blogging. How on earth does anyone get any actual work done?!? Between promoting our Daisy Dogs (Daisy’s Place Retriever Rescue) on Facebook, website and Petfinder and trying to make a living as a jewelry designer (so I can afford to keep doing rescue), I seem to spend more and more time on the computer and in what I think of as ‘virtual reality’. I must confess, maybe I’m just getting old, but I’m not really understanding the point of all this online networking. Yes, I understand that it helps promote my products and our Daisy Dogs – but does it actually lead to any tangible results? I have my doubts at this point. There is just so much ‘out there’!

My day started with such promise – enjoying a brisk morning stroll with my sweet old Magnolia. We wandered through our downtown neighborhood, collected some more gingko leaves as inspiration for my new line of jewelry and then came home to get to work. It all seemed to spiral downward from there. An entire day spent staring at this little screen and I’m feeling frustrated, cranky, stiff and somewhat depressed.

Gingko Leaves - symbolizing hope, resilience, peace and longevity

Balance does not seem to be in the cards today. I’ve got to get ready to go meet with an adopter – what I really want to do is close the door to my yoga room, light a candle and take to my mat, then turn on some inspiring music and actually have time to create!

Sorry, but I have no words of inspiration today, no uplifting stories about our precious grey muzzles or anything else for that matter. My spiritual tank is running on empty. What I could really use is some feedback, dare I ask for encouragement? I’d like someone to explain to me how all this social media works and why we need to do it. Next, I’d love for someone to offer advice on how to find enough hours in the day to Facebook, tweet, pin, blog, etc. AND create jewelry so I can actually earn a living to pay my bills and/or secure forever homes for our Daisy Dogs – preferably both!

Thank you for any insight, suggestions or comments you might have. I’m going to meditate on my gingko leaves for a moment as they represent hope and heaven knows I could use some right about now!

Blessings,
Melissa

Easter – a time for new beginnings

Easter Chicks

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved Easter! The mere sight of the beautifully colored eggs, fluffy little chicks and cute stuffed bunnies brings a flood of memories from my childhood – the pretty pastel dresses for church, dying eggs with my sister, and the gorgeous baskets we would find hidden on Easter morning. I can still recall one of my favorite Easter baskets, I must have been about five years old, the Easter Bunny was very clever that year and hid my basket in the oven. I squealed with delight upon discovering the basket laden with goodies and best of all a big fat brand new box of crayons – so many wonderful colors all just waiting for me to unleash my creativity!

I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but love Easter candy, too. Not so much to eat, but to look at – all those beautiful colors! I even love Peeps and use them to decorate my Easter table, seeing those cute little faces peering out makes me smile with nostalgia. I confess, I’ve never actually eaten a chocolate bunny – I just never could bring myself to bite off their cute little head, or even a tail!

Although the days of finding Easter baskets in the oven or brightly colored eggs in the grass are long since gone, I still love this holiday. To me, it signifies a time of new beginnings. I consider myself to be more spiritual than religious, but I like the symbolism of resurrection, a chance to begin anew. The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and the sun is shining – all signs that give me hope for a brighter future.

Today I’ll be celebrating new beginnings with a houseful of good friends and delicious food, a table set with all my favorite Easter mementos and remembering all the delights of Easters past – and the anticipation of good things yet to come. Although my family is thousands of miles away, I’ll be remembering those precious childhood years when my mother always made every holiday special – most especially, Easter – to me, the most beautiful holiday. I wish you all a Happy Easter, a day filled with love, joy, hope and new beginnings!

Blessings,
Melissa

Forgiveness

One of the sweetest souls I’ve ever met came into my life this week. Ralphie is a darling little yellow lab, about a year old, who was scheduled to be euthanized at a shelter. He’s been badly abused, has a large gash on his head and eye that our vet now believes to be some sort of chemical burn, and one of his front elbows is severely dislocated. When the shelter initially emailed me to literally beg for Ralphie’s life, my brain and heart were battling over the decision to save him. Daisy’s Place Retriever Rescue is dedicated to saving older Retrievers and Ralphie is not old, and we already have mounting vet bills that we’re struggling to pay. And yet I couldn’t get his photo out of my mind. I threw caution to the wind and responded that we’d take Ralphie and he’d be one of our honorary Daisy Dogs under the age of six, or as we lovingly call them, Rosebuds.

Ralphie's Shelter Photo

I was not prepared for the impact Ralphie would have on my heart upon his arrival. It was hard not to burst into tears when I looked at the wound on his head and eye and the way he hopped/limped when carefully lifted out of the car by our transport volunteer. But what struck me the most was Ralphie’s amazing spirit and his truly joyful disposition! I expected him to be perhaps a little fearful and guarded after all he’s been through – but Ralphie LOVES everyone and his smile is infectious! After he arrived in Charleston, I immediately took him to our vet where he had x-rays and a complete exam. The only sign of fear that he showed was crossing thresh holds – he’s absolutely terrified to walk through doorways. I shudder to think of the horrors he’s survived and can only imagine what has happened to him. Like any other young dog, he’s curious and energetic – so he had to be sedated for x-rays. Afterwards he laid his head in my lap and looked up at me with such love and trust, he melted my heart.

Ralphie laying his head in my lap

Next on Ralphie’s agenda was an appointment to be neutered. After a day’s recovery, I picked him up and took him to our ophthalmologist and orthopedic surgeon for evaluation. The good news is that he does have some sight in his eye, but will need surgery to see if the eye lid can be repaired so that the eye can be saved. Our orthopedic surgeon is going to try to relocate his elbow during eye surgery. So we are optimistic about his chances for making a full recovery. Of course, Ralphie doesn’t really care about any of this – all he knows is that he’s a happy dog and he just copes with his physical limitations.

So Ralphie has now been to four vets in three days – he’s been neutered, has had x-rays, a full eye exam and has been poked and prodded – through it all he continues to love everyone and displays a true zest for life! When I posted his story and photo on Facebook, we received an outpouring of concern and support – but what really got me thinking was the intense outrage and dislike (dare I use the word hatred?) for whoever caused this sweet boy’s injuries. Don’t get me wrong, I think animal abuse is one of the worst crimes imaginable – I can’t even comprehend how anyone could cause such harm to such an innocent loving creature. And yet, Ralphie displays no signs of distrust and I’m quite certain that if confronted with the person who caused him harm, he would forgive. Perhaps not forget, but surely he would forgive.

Dogs have an amazing capacity to forgive. And perhaps this is another valuable lesson they are here to teach us. It’s perfectly natural to instantly feel anger towards those who harm innocent animals – or anyone else for that matter – but aren’t we perpetuating the problem by spewing hatred? I have no idea what could possibly cause someone to commit such unspeakable acts of cruelty, but I have to believe that these people are deeply disturbed, unhappy and miserable in their own minds. To commit such violent crimes is surely a cry for help – deep inside they must be screaming out for someone to love them – even if they, themselves, don’t realize it. I’m not a psychologist, so I can’t speak from that view point, but I can speak from the heart and I truly believe that dogs want to teach us unconditional love, compassion and yes, forgiveness.

Ralphie is now in a loving foster home and all he knows is that life is good! He adores his girl, Maddie, and is learning what it means to be part of a loving family.

Ralphie and Maddie

Instead of being united by intolerance and judgement, it’s my hope that animal lovers and advocates can be united through love – our love for these amazing animals who are such a gift in our lives and love and forgiveness for those who have lost their way. There is a very real vibrational difference between vengeance and justice – let us continue to be a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves, but let us make sure we speak as these precious creatures would, with love and forgiveness. Our world is in desperate need of healing energy – perhaps dogs are sent to guide us to a more loving place in our own hearts.

many blessings,
Melissa

If you would like to follow Ralphie’s story, we’ll be posting updates on our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/DaisysPlace Donations towards Ralphie’s vetting, can be made on our website, click on ‘be a link in our Daisy Chain’ www.daisysplace.org

Daisy Dog Cookies to Help Fight Leukemia and Lymphoma

Today I’m honored to be part of an online bake sale to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma.

I’m not normally much of a baker – I love to cook, but find that baking requires way too much measuring and I don’t always do well with following directions as I like to ‘make it up’ as I go along! However, every holiday season my big pink mixer comes out and I bake non-stop for days on end. This past year I started realizing that everyone was on sugar overload and since just about everyone I know has fur children, I dedicated my baking time to creating Daisy Dog Cookies for all my favorite fur peeps! I wish I could take credit for the recipe, but I got it from my dad … my fur kids love it when granddad comes to visit as he always makes them these delicious treats. Each bite sized cookie is all natural made with oatmeal, peanut butter, whole wheat flour, molasses and milk – and they are Daisy Dog (Daisy’s Place Retriever Rescue) tested and approved with big high paws!

Daisy Dog Cookies to Benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

This is an AUCTION PRIZE for the TNT (Team in Training) ONLINE BAKE SALE to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on Friday, March 2, 2012! To bid on these Daisy Dog Cookies – or other delish people treats! – go to: www.stephsbitebybite.com

Wishing everyone a beautiful and delicious weekend!
blessings,
Melissa

Don’t Quit!

Many years ago, my mother sent me the following little poem, entitled “Don’t Quit” (author unknown). I keep it close by at all times and re-read it when life seems to be more than I can handle and am reminded of all that I’ve ‘overcome’ since I first read it! Of course, at the time, I had no idea where my path would lead – my life has been a myriad of beautiful experiences, enriched by so many amazing people and most recently by these precious souls we call Daisy Dogs (Daisy’s Place Retriever Rescue). My journey has also been filled with challenges, hardships and heart aches. And so, when life gets overwhelming and the burdens too many to bear, I pull out my tattered copy of this poem and it reminds me that I have more inner strength than I know – and a great support system! Too often we think we’re ‘in this’ all alone, when in fact, we have only to ask for help and encouragement. It’s not a sign of weakness, for it takes great strength to admit that we can’t do it all alone!

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong
as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re
trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low,
and the debts are high,
And you want to smile,
but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing
you down a bit –
Rest if you must,
but don’t you quit.

Success is failure
turned inside out,
The silver tint of
the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell
how close you are,
It may be near when
it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight
when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things go wrong
that you mustn’t quit.

A living example of today’s message is our sweet Daisy Dog, Lordie Mercy. This photo of Lordie and her girl, Gigi, always fills my heart and gives me inspiration to keep going no matter what! This beautiful old soul came into rescue a year ago, she was dumped at a high kill shelter and left to die at the age of 12. Physically Lordie is a train wreck, she’s losing her sight and hearing, has heartworms and cancer and most recently was diagnosed with the beginning signs of kidney failure – but look in her eyes and you’ll see pure joy and happiness! Lordie doesn’t feel sorry for herself, she just keeps going with an exuberance for life that never quits! The love that she shares with Gigi and her foster family is limitless and I’m quite certain it’s what keeps her going, in spite of all the obstacles that have been placed in her path.

Lordie Mercy and Gigi

Whether you’re dealing with financial hardship, the loss of a loved one or illness, whatever your challenges may be, I hope that this poem and Lordie Mercy will help inspire you not to quit, but instead to keep going, keep believing, keep reaching, keep seeking and most of all keep your heart open!

many blessings,
Melissa

It Takes a Courageous Heart

It takes a courageous heart to love a grey muzzle. This morning as I write this, my heart is aching for my friend Sharon who has loved and recently lost two precious grey muzzles. I, too, know all to well the pain of opening one’s heart to these precious gifts from God, to watch them blossom after years of neglect, only to lose them much too soon. They often come to us with guarded looks of fear, they are hesitant to be loved, some have known love in their former lives only to be condemned to death row in high kill shelters simply because they are old, left to sit for days scared and alone in a cage not understanding why they have been abandoned, others have never known love. I’m not sure what is worse, those that have known the love of a family and then are thrown away so carelessly, or those poor souls who waited patiently throughout their lives waiting for someone to love them in return as they so freely gave their love.

My journey to loving and saving these amazing creatures began the day I saw my beloved Miss Daisy almost four years ago. I didn’t think my heart was ready to love again after just having lost my precious Sophie Bear, a 10 year old ‘chowbador’ to cancer, but one look in Daisy’s eyes and I knew Sophie sent her to me. I’d never adopted an older dog before – the love and pure joy she brought to my life in a very short time is hard to put into words. I could write page after page of the moments we shared together in seven short months and still not be able to adequately express all she gave me, quite simply she filled my heart each and every day. The day that Daisy went to the rainbow bridge was the day I knew my life calling – to love and save as many of these precious souls as possible. The night before she left me, we sat quietly on the couch and Daisy gently put her paw in my lap and stared into my eyes with a love that is hard to describe. After she was gone I realized she was telling me that all was well and to keep my heart open, she had to leave me but she knew she was loved and cherished and that was all that mattered.

Today’s post is dedicated to another very special grey muzzle, Jake and his courageous forever mom, Sharon. Breast cancer survivors are warriors who wear pink, I’m beginning to think that those who open their hearts to a grey muzzle should be known as warriors who wear grey – and wear it courageously! Sharon is one such warrior.

Sweet Jake

Sharon adopted Bella, her first Daisy Dog (a foster dog with Daisy’s Place Retriever Rescue). After fostering Bella for several months, she knew she couldn’t let her go and thus became, what we in rescue lovingly refer to as, a ‘foster failure’. Bella was a big exuberant grey muzzled black Lab mix (the canine equivalent to Mae West) who captured the hearts of all she met! I say ‘was’, because sadly Bella went to the rainbow bridge at the end of last year.

Now Jake on the other hand, was not exuberant by any stretch of the imagination. I first met Jake when he came to us from a small rural shelter with his ‘brother”, a beautiful yellow Lab. Jake was ‘just a big old black dog’, definitely part Labby, most likely mixed with some chow and various other breeds. It was clear that Jake had always lived in his brother’s shadow, he was shy and timid and very slow to warm up to people. Of course, Jake melted my heart immediately. One day a very wealthy lady came to one of our Daisy adoption events and met Jake’s brother, she later called and said she wanted to adopt him and had heard he came into rescue with another dog, (he was in another foster home as we didn’t have any available that would take them both) and that she would adopt him as well. My heart soared thinking that these two sweet old souls would have such a great life together for the rest of their days! And they did, for a short time. They lived on a large estate and were ‘living the good life’ for all intents and purposes. Until the day I got a phone call from someone at our vet’s office telling me that Jake’s adopter wanted to put him down. Apparently one of the staff at Jake’s new home had given bones to the two dogs along with a small dog who resided on the property – and then left them all alone. Anyone who knows dogs, knows that giving dogs (especially large and small together) bones and then leaving them alone is a recipe for disaster.

Jake was blamed for attacking the smaller dog and going after the bone. I was outraged that this had happened and most of all that the adopter had not called me as it is stated in the adoption contract that Daisy Dogs are never to be put to sleep without first contacting the rescue. I immediately went and picked up Jake and this was to be the beginning of the ‘real’ good life for our sweet boy!

After several weeks in a temporary foster home, Jake went to live with Sharon. She was only ‘fostering’ she kept telling me, but of course, we both knew that Jake had found his forever home. Bella welcomed Jake with open paws, and with the love and patience he received from Sharon, Jake began to slowly come out of his shell. It started with a little bounce in his step and over time he began to literally dance with joy whenever he saw his mom! This big old ‘black dog’ had finally found the love he deserved and he was no longer scared or timid – he lived life to the fullest and filled Sharon’s days with love and joy. Jake was finally ‘home’ and he knew the real meaning of the word for several blessed years.

Last Friday Jake jumped out of the back of Sharon’s car after a routine trip to the vet and gave out a small yelp of pain. Sharon took him back to the vet on Saturday morning where he spent much of the day under observation. He was presenting a variety of symptoms and at first the vet thought he might have a spinal injury. He wasn’t eating and was having a hard time standing. Sharon took him home armed with IV fluids and kept a careful watch over the weekend, with our wonderful vet calling and checking in via phone throughout.

Yesterday, just four days after the first indication that there was something wrong with Jake, I was at our vet with one of my grey muzzles, Magnolia, who’s being treated for Lupus. Our vet told me that Sharon was on her way back in with Jake as he still wasn’t doing well. I went out to the parking lot where Jake was sitting in the back of Sharon’s car while they drew blood – I joked about the ‘curbside’ service that he was receiving and Magnolia went up to give him a nose nuzzle. Jake actually stood up to greet Magnolia and I took this as a very good sign. Sharon and I stood there chatting for a bit with the vet techs and she decided to have some xrays done to try and determine the cause of Jake’s discomfort. At that point I had to leave as I was running late for a class and still had to get Magnolia home. I gave Jake a hug and kiss and told him to stop scaring his mom – then I hugged Sharon and told her to call me as soon as she had the xray results. It never dawned on me that this would be the last time I would touch Jake’s soft fur or look into his big beautiful eyes, so filled with love and trust.

An hour later I checked my phone while sitting in class – and there it was, a text from Sharon telling me that the xrays showed a large tumor in Jake’s liver and that he had joined his sister Bella and my beloved Daisy and so many other grey muzzles at the rainbow bridge. My heart filled with sorrow – and anger, anger that he was gone so soon, anger that these amazing creatures wait so long to tell us when something is wrong and yes, anger at myself for leaving. And then I realized that my heart was also filled with gratitude, gratitude for Sharon and all the others who have the courage to love these precious grey muzzles in their golden years – and gratitude to Jake for teaching us all that it’s never too late to open our hearts to love.

Run free dear Jake, although you are gone from this earth, you’ll always live on in our hearts – especially in the heart of your forever and ever mom, Sharon.

many blessings,
Melissa

Finding Our Way Home

Tonight is the second meeting of the newly formed spiritual growth book club (facilitated by Rev Deb, www.positivezenergy.com ) – and I can’t wait! We’ve been reading and discussing The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz and what started me thinking about the content for today’s blog is the fact that I read this book many years ago. As I re-read it, I keep thinking to myself – “wow, if I’d only retained what I learned when I first read this book, I would be so much further on my spiritual path, and leading a much more balanced life!”

Why is it that we tend to veer off our path and how can we stay the course when life gets crazy? It seems that my life goes in cycles – I get centered, focus on my spiritual growth, practice yoga regularly and do all the things that make me feel balanced and then little by little ‘life’ gets chaotic and before I know it, I’m completely lost and have to fumble through the dark to find my way back ‘home’ again!

I recently came across, ‘The Hymn of the Pearl’, a classic Gnostic myth, which beautifully illustrates the symbolism of pearls in reclaiming our true self and returning to our spiritual center. It is the story of a boy, ‘the son of the king of kings’, who is sent to Egypt to retrieve a pearl from a serpent. During the quest, he is seduced by Egyptians and forgets his origin and his family. However, a letter is sent from the king of kings to remind him of his past. When the boy receives the letter, he remembers his mission and his true identity, allowing him to retrieve the pearl and return ‘home’.

No matter our religious or spiritual beliefs, on some level we all yearn to be our true selves and to be at ‘home’. Like many young girls, my first pair of earrings were pearl studs. I’ve always been drawn to pearls and I tend to instinctually incorporate them into most of my jewelry designs, but never really gave any thought as to why. After discovering The Hymn of the Pearl, I began to really think about their origin and I had one of those light bulb moments – in a burst of understanding, I realized that on some deep unconscious level I was resonating with these small miracles of nature. Beginning as a tiny grain of sand and over time slowly growing into an object of pure beauty, pearls remind us of our own unique power to overcome obstacles, transform our lives and allow our inner beauty to shine keeping us on our true path – in other words following our bliss!

Freshwater Coin Pearl Earrings with Vintage Leaves

Today I’ll be wearing my favorite pearl earrings as I continue the quest to remain on my spiritual path and find my way ‘home’. Wishing you all a beautiful and balanced week!

Blessings,
Melissa

Staying on Your ‘Right’ Path Opens the Door to Synchronicity

Synchronicity:  the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality

It’s really amazing how the Universe works when we’re on the ‘right’ path.  And I use the word ‘right’ meaning, whatever it might be that is in alignment with our true selves.  What is right for me, might not be (and probably isn’t) ‘right’ for anyone else.  You know you’re on the right path when things just seem to click, life flows instead of ebbing, people come into your life who enrich your experiences and so forth.  Whenever I veer off my right path, I feel as if I’m swimming upstream -  in mud.  Nothing works.  Sometimes I ‘get it’ immediately and step back to evaluate, other times I keep pushing and trying to force things to work out the way I want them to – this never works as it means I’m out of balance and not listening to that inner voice that keeps me focused and on my right path.

When we’re on our right path … it’s a truly delightful journey! Yes, there are still bumps and in the road, but  the Universe sends us people and situations that we didn’t even know could exist – that’s when the magic of synchronicity is at play in our lives!  The only way to have synchronicity is to step back and ALLOW … you can’t force it, you can’t even will it to come, you have only to breath, relax, let go and listen to your inner voice.  It will never steer you wrong, but you do have to ‘listen’ with a quiet and open heart.  You know it’s not there when you get that ‘ick’ feeling.  Sometimes your brain is telling you to go one way but you know deep inside that isn’t the path for you.  No matter how much it logically makes sense, it’s just not going to work out if  you have to force things.  Where there is internal conflict, there is never synchronicity.

As some of you reading this might know, my path has led me to Daisy’s Place Retriever Rescue.  I didn’t plan to start a non-profit rescue, nor would I necessarily have chosen it if I had any inkling of what it would entail on a day to day basis.  However, I know with every fiber of my being that this is my right path.  Although it’s often hard, heart breaking work (with no monetary rewards), it feeds my soul in a way that is hard to describe.  It’s also a bit of a sticky subject with my husband as it’s not on his right path and he feels – rightly so – that it takes a lot of my energy and focus away from my own business and producing an income.  And let’s face it, unless you’re a trust fund baby, all of us need to earn a living these days! So I work hard at balancing rescue with my jewelry design business and the rest of my life.  It doesn’t always work out the way I intend, but again, if I listen to my own inner voice, things ‘just happen’ as they are meant to – synchronicity more often then not brings exactly what I need at any given moment to let me know I’m on my right path.

Odin - a very special Daisy Dog

I could share any number of examples of synchronicity at this point, but the following illustrates it beautifully.  About a month ago I was asked to take a large husky-shepherd mix into rescue.  Odin was featured in my blog “Compassion Leads to Balance“.  His dad was moving and couldn’t keep him and his housemate Rheba, a 9 year old Lab.  Now keep in mind, Daisy’s Place is dedicated to saving older Retrievers – Odin doesn’t have a bit of Retriever in all of his 110 lbs.  I agonized over what to do, Daisy’s Place was full with no open foster homes, but something kept bringing me back to his picture and his dad’s heartfelt pleas to save him.  For those of you not in rescue, let me explain that I get literally hundreds of these emails a week, so this was not an unusual situation.  I have no idea why, but I just knew I was meant to save Odin – and Rheba.  The minute I stopped listening to my brain which was screaming “what are you doing?!?!”, a foster home magically appeared that was absolutely the perfect fit for Odin.  I also found a loving foster home for Rheba.  There’s more to this story.  A few weeks later we had a ‘meet and greet’ where our fosters bring their adoptable Daisy Dogs so they can have the opportunity to meet potential adopters.  One of my fosters brought her Daisy Dog, Violet – and the minute she met Odin she exclaimed “he looks just like my Valentine that I adopted from the shelter 9 years ago!”  As soon as I got home I emailed Odin’s former dad and he responded that yes, he had adopted Odin from the same shelter at exactly the same time Kate got Valentine – 9 years ago – they were siblings separated at the shelter.  In that moment, there was no doubt, Odin was meant to be a Daisy Dog!  I’m not sure where this story will go from here, but I do know that synchronicity led me to save Odin and just looking at his sweet face fills my heart with joy!

Embrace your journey and listen to your inner voice, stay on your ‘right’ path – you’ll know when you’re exactly where you’re meant to be – synchronicity will whisper in your ear and enrich your life in ways previously unimaginable!

blessings,

Melissa