Dear Spirit to Spirit friend,
The Rolling Stones sang it:
“You can’t always get what you want
but if you try sometime, you find
you get what you need.”
The Stones have it right. When we decide to bring a new animal family member into our home, we get who we need... and who needs us.
And yet, sometimes, it's a little more complex than that.
I was in session with a client who has older pups, one who has health issues. Being poignantly aware of their age and health and following her longing for puppy energy,
she brought an adorable young pup into her family. What she didn't anticipate was
how big this puppy's energy is and how exaggerated some of his puppy behaviors could
be. It brought up a lot of stress and uncertainty.
Bringing a new animal into the family can open a wide range of emotions in people and in animals. It is often a mix of emotions as we meet and get to know each other and navigate all of the practical adjustments as well as mental/emotional territory of shifting individual and family dynamics.
The learning curve is not just for the new animal in the family but for us humans as well.
It may invite us to stretch in ways that we have not before as we discover who this being is.
It can be quite challenging with some additions to the family learning to understand their particular energy needs and how to best guide the animal into discovering their own inner balance and find balance in the family.
Another client whose wonderful cat I have been supporting for quite a while in healing. Her heart was moved by a lovely feline who needed a foster home. She brought her into the family and even in doing all the right, smart things to integrate the cats, the two have not chosen to fully accept each other... at least not yet.
Sometimes, although we feel that an animal is meant to be our family member, our job is to be an intermediary in the animal's life. A rest stop on the way to a forever home. Giving the animal a place to grow and discover themselves. We become the one who helps an animal transition from one kind of life to another.
Even though my client feels that this sweet feline is the family member that she and her family need- and it would be a most wonderful home- the jury is still out on these kitties. They are evolving, making great strides and having some setbacks, figuring this out in the way that only cats do. In the meantime, little girl is growing and becoming more of who she truly is each day.
The one that needs us... the one that we need... what will become clear is what is best for everyone, animals and humans. Our job may simply be... to be open to and accepting of
what reveals itself as right for all. It seems that with patience and time, it always does.
In Gratitude & Love, Joanna
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