Do you recognize your pet’s love for you?
The number one question asked during conversations is: “Do my animals know how much I love them?”
The animals respond with an enthusiastic YES. Your love is very obvious.
Then the animals immediately respond with the same question “Do you know how much I love you?”
Often this question is responded to with tears and a hesitant acknowledgment of yes.
Your animal and I invite you to play a little game with us.
The rules are that you must understand:
They love you unconditionally.
They are your non-judgmental loving witness. They accept you as you are in any state you show up - all put together, full of joy, depressed, sad, happy, confused, bored.
They live in the present moment and are great teachers of being present.
Since they have all four feet on the Earth they can help ground you.
They live in your field, your bubble, the home you created, and you are their world.
They are receivers of energy trying to help maintain balance and harmony within the family.
They speak the language of energy. Sometimes their actions are in response to the unspoken, ignored, repressed, stress.
Now with your new understanding imagine you are picking up the stethoscope that allows you to hear the love, or a viewfinder with a filter of viewing love in all their actions, not just in the snuggles and the moments of affection, but in all the moments.
Think about the moments of shared love 💗💗
What does love sound like, feel like?
Example: What love sounds like for me with my dog is when I am driving to a favorite walk with music on and my dog enthusiastically joins in singing/barking all the way to the park.
What does love look like?
For me it’s in the bounce and ease in his body as we walk in the woods and how he slows down and looks in my direction when we encounter something new.
Can you hear / see / feel the love in those moments when you think they are bored or you have guilt you are not doing enough?
For example, when I hear deep sighs from the bed while I work, my thoughts are that he's bored and I should be doing more. If I view the sigh through the lens of love, I realize he is choosing this bed in the entire house to be by me during the day to be close to me. 💗💗 His deep sighing is a sigh of relaxation.
Can you recognize their love in the annoying things they do? Such as interrupting you while you work or during a zoom call? Continually waking you up? Or non-stop barking? Remember since they live in the present, often their behavior or antics are in response to energy in the room, or repressed, ignored feelings or stress. Using the filter of love now view the annoying habits.
Are they trying to balance energy in the space? Are they trying to get your attention back into the present moment?
Are they tending to your physicality as it seems to be dipping low in vitality? By snapping you into responding.
Are they trying to get you to move?
From this new understanding of the love in their annoying behaviors, are there any new responses that you can use to redirect with love their actions?
For example, my dog has many nemeses in the neighborhood. I was so annoyed with him when he would bark and lunge like a crazy dog. I realized he thought he needed to protect me. I set a clear intention for our walks of safety for all and communicate this to him before we set out. I now pay attention to his body language while walking the neighborhood. As soon as the base of his tail puffs and he starts walking stiff legged I keep breathing and become a chatty Neave, asking with curiosity what or who he perceives since I can't see anyone and then the talking continues. I notice the approaching nemesis and comment I see them and keep talking about the trees, the birds, how we are moving by - basically anything because I can't hold my breathe will talking. Holding my breathe and gripping the leash is a fear response and he would clue in on that. Instead he references my calm state and keeps walking rather confused that I do not share the disdain for the other dog.
What are you animal companions expressions of love that you easily understand?
Is it the snuggles? Or the long rambling meowing or barking conversation? The play time? Or how they greet you or follow you around the house?
Rest back into the knowing that you are deeply loved and recognize their expressions of love. 💗💗
You are their world 🌎