Guardians of being
decade of parenting, new family member, expanding hearts, being joyfully present
My daughter’s tenth birthday is next week. Every year I spend time remembering the last weeks before her birth. How hot and steamy the weather was. How dreamy and contented I felt. Full with all the waiting, holding, not knowing. It was the most challenging and precious time of my life.
And then there was the birth itself and the learning and transformation of parenting that came after.
And now, somehow, day-by-day, it has been a decade of parenting. Wow.
I’m so proud of the person she is. And who I have become as her mother.
The only wish she had for this milestone birthday was to get a dog… and so, we have welcomed a new family member. She is a Jack Russell cross Staffy. A two year old rescue dog - full of energy and love and some anxieties.
We have named her Maggie. Mostly because it is the right fit for her temperament. And because of the little sister in The Simpsons. I’ve also been learning about the namesake St Margaret, who was known as the pearl of Scotland and is the patron of expectant mothers and parents - how fitting!
Settling Maggie into our household has been challenging, and also exactly what we all needed. It’s hard to re-calibrate the whole dynamic of the family! We are slowly learning to accept the good with the bad, adapt to new experiences, celebrate small wins and expand our hearts.
Living closely with another species is interesting… I think it makes us better humans. It brings our basic needs to the forefront and limits our tendency to overthink and hold onto things. It keeps us curious and reminds us of the needs of the whole vs the individual.
Eckhart Tolle calls dogs guardians of being. He says they keep us from getting trapped in our minds and egos, and remind us how to be. We can re-learn from them how to have a joyful, loving presence.
“The reality is that we need the love and guidance of the other species to help us remember how to love ourselves.”
Interspecies love as medicine, Kate Clearlight
Inspiration this month
A Dog’s World three part documentary on ABC iview
A Member of the Family, Cesar Millan’s book
Much love,
Emily
