Dear Spirit to Spirit friend,
I heard one, for sure. A very early arrival. A spring bird, sounding that morning announcement, just last week. Unusual for end of February. This bird knows "something". Dare we be optimistic?
Optimism- isn't that a prominent quality that our animal family members show us over and over again?
Bounding to where treats are with a wide open face of joyful expectation, assuming a great outcome. Arriving at the couch, confident that your lap can't wait for him/her to settle in. Assuming, with great anticipation, that when mom or dad comes home, that what's in the bag is something absolutely wonderful and of course, "it's for me!"
These are some of the simple and sweet ways in which our animal beloveds demonstrate to us their natural inner optimism. An openness to what is good, positive, possible. Most of the time, our animal family members show up in life with innocence and an availability to all that is in front of them. Natural for them- and yes, for us humans too: to be present in the moment with mind, heart, and soul wide open and eager for all the great possibilities that life can bring. Of course, if an animal has experienced fear, suffering, abuse in the past, her /his innate optimism can become shrouded. Then, an animal may act from memory and out of historical patterns, based on the past.
What we see in animals, even in the ones who have had difficult lives, is their longing to be optimistic/feel optimism in life. To see life once again with those joyfully expectant eyes. To be in life in an open, welcoming, "anticipating good" state.
It is simply beautiful what animals teach us about life. Today, about optimism. Tomorrow...
In Gratitude & Love, Joanna