Meditation Monday

Pets, Pats and Mary Oliver

Last Monday our dog Goldie had an operation to remove a tumor on her left thigh. Since then she has been sedated to slow her down, and encased in a “cone of shame” to stop her licking her leg. I was the one who took her to the doctor, and the one who forces pills down her throat so I thought she would see me as the monster creature who causes her pain and discomfort. However it has been quite the reverse. She clings to me and hates it if I leave the room and gets anxious if I leave the house without her.

Briton Alex Larenty massages a lion’s paws

Yesterday, I read an article about Briton Alex Larenty who lives on a game reserve in South Africa and spends his days giving foot massages to lions. Thanks to this pampering, he has formed a bond with the lions so strong that they lie down, stretch their legs, and smile as soon as they see him approach. It reminded me that often in the evenings Goldie will reach out to me with her paw wanting it massaged. It definitely helps her to relax. I benefit too. So while she is recuperating I am making it a regular part of my evening routine with her.

I am learning much from her during this time of recuperation. Her patience, her acceptance of what happened and her unconditional love towards my husband Tom and me, in spite of what we seem to have inflicted on her, is remarkable.

It shouldn’t surprise me. Humans have kept dogs as pets and companions for thousands of years. Once mere hunting companions, protectors or helpers for farmers, they have now evolved into beloved family members. Pets of all kinds - dogs, cats, pigs, lizards, mice, and even wild animals like lions, can provide a unique bond with their owners by offering unwavering love and support. Research suggests that pet ownership positively impacts mental and physical well-being, including decreased stress, lower blood pressure, and increased physical activity. The stronger the bond, the greater the impact so maybe a little bit of foot massage for all our pets is a good idea. If only we could get them to reciprocate.

Numerous research studies demonstrate that pet ownership significantly benefits heart health. Pets can assist in diminishing the risk of heart disease by decreasing blood pressure and reducing bad cholesterol (LDL).  This is because interacting with these furry companions stimulates the production of endorphins and other hormones that alleviate stress, which can help dilate blood vessels and sustain blood pressure levels. 

I think that God intended us to live in partnership with animals, not just seeing them as creatures to be slaughtered but as companions and friends.

Therapy Dog - Odin on Unsplash

I love the way that animals are increasingly being used for therapy. A therapy dog is one taken by its owner to schools, hospitals and even prisons. From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. Then there are service dogs, specially trained animals that can help guide a blind person, alert a diabetic to changing blood glucose levels, assist those in wheelchairs or calm an anxious, autistic or disabled person.

Keeping pets is obviously good for our physical and emotional lives, but how is caring for an animal a spiritual practice? Well if we believe, as I do, that everything God created is good then  we can learn from it and connect with it in ways that benefit our souls. We can love and care for pets in a way that helps us love and care for others.

As well as that, pets help us live in the present moment rather than in either the future or the past. They teach us to slow down and live mindfully. They also help root us in our relationship to the world which God created, the world in which we live, the world that God loves.

Kevin of Glendalough

One of the major themes that appears in the stories of the saints of the early Celtic Church is how intimate they were with animals, and how much they valued the contributions animals made to their lives. I particularly love the story of St Cuthbert monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in Northumbria Northern England. Evidently he would stand waist-deep in the North Sea during his nightly prayer vigils. Afterwards two otters reputedly came and warmed his feet. Then there was Kevin of Glendalough. While praying with his hands outstretched, a blackbird built a nest in it and laid eggs. Kevin stood in trancelike stillness until the eggs hatched and the chicks flew away.

Animals are important for our physical, emotional and spiritual well being. Sit and think about your relationship to animals. In what ways to they enhance your spiritual well being.

And to round this off let me quote a Mary Oliver poem from Dog Songs 

How It Is With Us, And

How It is With Them. 

We become religious,
then we turn from it,
then we are in need and maybe we turn back.
We turn to making money,
then we turn to the moral life,
then we think about money again.
We meet wonderful people,
but lose them in our busyness.
We're, as the saying goes, all over the place.
Steadfastness, it seems,
is more about dogs than about us.
One of the reasons we love them so much.

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