Attitude, Grace and Gratitude

November is the time of year when we usually think about grace, gratitude and thankfulness. Our list of what we are most thankful for usually begins with home and family.

If our animal friends were to make such a list they probably wouldn't need to prioritize, because all that would be on that list would be a home and a family to call their own.

Most of our pets were unwanted or abandoned throwaways. They usually show up young, scared, hungry and in need of medical care.

 Always leery of bringing a cat of unknown origin into the home and exposing our other cats to disease, we tend to put ourselves in the position to choose either to take on one more, take it to a shelter, or just stay out of it and hope someone else finds it and takes responsibility.The chances being poor for a good outcome with two out of these three, our kitty choir usually grows one more.


All these little souls want in life is to be safe, warm, fed and secure. That is all they need to be content. There is no inner turmoil over the difference between wants and needs, no envy or resentment over what life tends to dish out. No self torment or self-pity over the past or worry about the future. They live in the present and focus on what is going on right now. We would be wise to observe and realize that often time, "it is what it is" in life and so be it.

Animals are a reminder that happiness isn't like a carrot dangling on the end of a rope, always close but a bit out of our reach. The fickle, fleeting emotional roller coaster that comes with any given day's events is certainly not what we should be using as our barometer of whether we say we're happy or not. Flighty feelings should not be the measure of true happiness. Happiness isn't something to be found, it is right here the whole time, within us. We have to remember that we may not be able to change a person or situation, but we can change our attitude towards that person or situation.  By redirecting our attitude, and refocusing negative energy into the positive, we can stop the destructive pattern of "if onlys" that are so emotionally and physically draining. 


Humans often feel the need to delve into areas of philosophical and spiritual studies, seeking the knowledge to figure out what why we are here, what's it all for, and is it all worth it in the end. Animals are blessed with not being bogged down with such mental anguish.
Do you find that the minute you sit down there appears a cat settling in your lap or a dog at your feet, with no where to be but with you?  While you may be tempted to end such moments because your mind is swirling with things to get done on the 'to do' list, take twenty minutes and enjoy that daily moment of silence.  We hear so much about calming the mind and daily meditation of quiet, yet never seem to find the time in our schedules. Allow yourself those shared moments of unconditional love from your furbabies, without thinking it a waste of time. You may not realize it, but our pets are often more in tune with our health than we are and they are letting us know that it is important to just stop once in a while and learn to just "be". Their Golden Rule is not only to take time to "be", but to take time to play and just be silly.


Maybe that is why we have and probably always will have a number of pets. They are a constant reminder in this crazy world's attitude of "I deserve what I want", "I want what I want and I want it now" and being victim to the "never enough syndrome". In reality, do we deserve anything in the grand scheme of things? I remember an important lesson learned at age 16 when it came time to drive a car. Having a driver's license is not our right, but a privilege, and with privilege comes great responsibility.

Thanksgiving is a time to realize how privileged we really are, and it is our responsibility to be aware of those around us who are less fortunate. 
Do so, and it won't take long before we realize the enormous satisfaction in lending a hand to meet the needs of another. This holiday season, reach out to hold a hand, or a paw, and have a better understanding of what the word 'grace' really means.



                                                         
                                                              Happy Thanksgiving!