I have had cats all my adult life and not once – not once! – did I ever use the phrase “mom” (or “mama” or “mommy”) or any other such crazy nonsense when referring to my fur “baby”.
Two Sizes Too Small
After almost a year of living with a dog, I found the shocking words “come to mama” leaving my lips. My clients would say I have a big heart, while I have always thought of myself as a bit of a Grinch (with a heart two sizes too small). Spending my days 24/7 with Roxy has expanded my heart and so filled it with love that sometimes I’m afraid it might burst. I seriously hope my beloved boyfriend is not reading this blog . . . oh, who am I kidding – he already knows that I love no one and nothing more than I love Roxy.
Wait . . . I meant to be writing about being a helicopter pet mom, but it’s important for you to understand my feelings for this treat-stealing, ankle-biting, bed-hogging beast – because the first time she hurt herself I went a little bit crazy.
Humans Being Human
At the dog park there are the people that watch their dogs and intervene when necessary. There are those who study the paper or are so engrossed in their cell phones they never once look up until their dog comes back with blood on its paws, sporting a new eye patch covering their one good eye. And then there are the ones who repeat their dog’s name so much that when you see them again, you remark in your head “look, there’s Albert.” Guess which one I was and am working hard not to be?
On a side note, Albert is one of my favorite dogs at the park. He lets everyone know that an airplane is in the sky by barking at it. And he warns us way before anyone sees it. I think he should apply for a job at air traffic control.
Is Fear Leading the Pack
It is interesting to watch yourself go into fear that your beloved dog will hurt herself, hurt another dog, or worse – not be accepted by the pack. So, you find yourself trying to control the situation even though you know putting that kind of energy into anything is fruitless.
There is a delicate balance that gets to happen around intention, focus and letting go to support co-creation with the Universe. And, when it comes to beings who have minds of their own, all you can do is control how you respond to each situation and experience.
Now, every time I want to helicopter “hover” around Roxy, I ask why? What am I afraid of and how could I respond differently? There still are days where I can taste the blood from biting my tongue, but the result is that I am having a better time at the dog park now . . . and so is Roxy.
Allow the Howl
What I have also noticed is that others at the dog park are voicing what is in my head. A woman who has a hound who howls looked at me and said, “I used to try and tell her to not bark so loud…it is pointless – I can’t stop her from being her, just like she can’t stop me from being me”.
Never a truer statement was said. We must stop trying to change ourselves, accept who we are, and then decide if we want to make a different choice. Our souls know we are whole and complete exactly as we are – let’s just get the human on board.