Show Up

I love animals because they always show up fully present in the moment.

They don’t lie or create some drama about why they are late, or what a horrible day they have had, or how difficult it is to manage their schedule. They simply show up. 

Have you ever been in the middle of an emotional crisis where your cat jumps up to get closer or your dog sits pretty and wags up at you?  That interruption may have been a coincidence, but what if it was an invitation to pause and take a breath? Our pet partners invite us to notice what we feel, take a moment away from our crisis thinking mode, and simply show up. 

In the book “The Guardians of Being” by Eckhart Tolle, with artist Patrick McDonnell, my favorite page says: 

What is it that so many people find enchanting in animals? Their essence –their Being—is not covered up by the mind as it is in most humans. And whenever you feel that essence in another, you also feel it in yourself.

Animals live in the present moment without supplemental injection of drama from the ego. They don’t wonder what the ripple effect will be if they pin their ears, scratch or show their teeth to make a point. They don’t project or wallow in the world of “should” or “what if.” They don’t get lost in crisis thinking mode. 

Our animal companions invite us to show up every day. How are you responding to the invitation?  

In Joy, Michelle