Let Your Pets Teach You What Oneness Means
For the second post of this We Are Earthlings series, my original plan was to write an overview of what Oneness is and why it’s important to view the world from that perspective. Unfortunately, though, my pet rabbit, Smores passed away suddenly on January 3rd, and I want to jump right in and write about that experience today and what it taught me about pets and Oneness. I might explain Oneness in depth later, but I did write a song about it previously, so maybe you can take a listen to that and get the idea for now.
Why Pets Come to Us
I think most of us grew up being taught that animals are lower forms of being than us humans. We love to believe that we’re superior than any other species. I feel like it’s the complete opposite. I believe animals are highly evolved beings who understand their role in the Oneness of the world. Our pets come to us specifically to help us heal our old wounds. They mirror back our own self-perception to us. They patiently envelope us with love even if we don’t get the the message the first time, or the second time, or even the third time.
Over the years, I have watched so many pet owners “rescue” an animal when they are the ones hoping to be “rescued.” They often play out their childhood issues with their pets, but this time, from the opposite perspective. Their pets help them understand why their parents (or other adults in their lives) acted the way they did. I’ve seen those with abandonment issues abandon their own pets. Perfectionists expect perfection from their pets. The ones with emotional scars from physical or verbal abuse often lash out on their pet.
Before Smores, I had a Yorkie named Kelsi for 15 years. That time coincided with the period when my self-esteem was at the lowest. In hindsight, the way I treated Kelsi reflected that. I neglected her the same way I neglected myself. I barely made time to walk her because I was terrified of stepping outside. Why? Because I always expected people to criticise me, which is what I was doing to myself at all times. I created an invisible inner shield and pushed people away. This in turn, taught Kelsi to be afraid of strangers. She gave my shield a voice by barking at everyone. And since I thought I was a burden to everyone, I treated Kelsi like a heavy burden too. She wore me out, and I often resented her for making my life more difficult. Oh, how I wish I could go back and shake myself awake!
When Healing Takes Place
But like I said, animals are our mirrors. So if you do a lot of healing work, they will reflect that right back to you too. I only got to spend slightly less than 3 months with Smores, but my time with her was very different. I just loved her so much! Even though she had digestive issues from the beginning and needed a lot of care, I didn’t mind it at all. Even 2 AM feedings were enjoyable. I rejoiced when she ate, when her urine was clear, and when her stool was was nice and round. That was an accomplishment, and I thanked her for it. I accepted her health issues. She didn’t need to be a perfectly healthy rabbit in order to be loved. I didn’t need her to meet the expectations I originally had for her. I noticed myself appreciating everything she did, and everything was adorable. And it occured to me, that it’s because my state of mind was now completely different. Between the time that Kelsi passed away and Smores arrived, I learned to love myself, so loving her was easy.
Let Your Pets Teach You
The night before Smores passed away, I took a video of her eating her hay because I just loved how she munched her food. How quickly those little teeth moved! How she expertly turned the hay around with her teeth so that it was easy to chew! The way her cheeks moved, right, left, right, left, right, left! Everything was adorable and I stared at her mesmerized.
And I want you to realize that you are just as mesmerizing. Years ago, you probably also had someone who just watched and appreciated the way you munched your food! If it wasn’t your mother, then it was your father, your grandma, your aunt or your uncle. Even if they didn’t, there probably was a little old lady at a table near you in a restaurant, sneaking a few peeks to watch your beautiful self. Even now, there may be an entity watching you from above, sighing over how remarkable you are, right this minute. All they want you to do is to breathe, eat, sleep, and enjoy life.
See Yourself as They Do
You are loved. That’s what living with the awareness of Oneness feels like. And I’m just so grateful that Smores decided to share her last 3 months with me to show me that. I miss her dearly, but at the same time, I feel a sense of peace. I’m satisfied that I did everything that I could for her with the knowledge that I had at the time. And I think I paid attention to everything that she wanted me to learn.
Your pet IS you. If you want to love your pet the way she deserves to be, then you have to first love yourself the way you deserve to be. If your pets were able to speak to you, I’m pretty sure that’s what they’d all want to tell you. They would want you to know that you are lovable, just as you are.