It was clear from the start there was a wildness in her that wasn't to be tamed. Despite what they say in dog-training manuals, Jasmine had no interest in following along at my heels or coming when she's called or obeying commands just to hear me say “good girl.” Jasmine wasn't here to live by the book. She wasn't born to be leashed or caged. She'd come to run wild in the woods on impassioned, instinctual hunts. And reach her face toward the sky, catching the scents blowing by on the winds. And roll around with joyful abandon on the earth, adorning her body with rich pungent smells. And teach me about opening up my senses - listening, feeling, communicating without words as we walk among the trees intrinsically connected as a pack.
We first met at the animal shelter, Jasmine and me. There were many quirky circumstances that easily could have kept us from crossing paths. But we happened to find each other just as I was heading back out the door. I'm not quite sure who chose who or exactly all the reasons why. Apparently Jasmine wasn't deterred by my doubts about being a dog mama. She's made it clear, over the years, she's come into my life to stay. Evidently she wasn't troubled by the fact that I vowed I'd never let my dog lay on the furniture or eat my food or sleep on my bed. She's done it all anyway.
When Jasmine came to live with me, I was a vegetarian. And by the ripple effect, basically so was she. That is, until we met Ken. Jasmine and Ken bonded over burgers. It was love at first tail-wagging bite. During the years we've all been together, we've continually moved farther away from the sidewalks, fenced yards, paved roads and street lights that characterized the neighborhood of our first home.
Jasmine no longer wears a collar. Our daily walks in the wilderness don't involve a leash. Like Jasmine, I relish the expanded freedom that has come in leaving behind what once held me back and boxed me in.
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Jasmine instinctively knows that passionate aliveness has nothing to do with settling for a ho-hum existence. She seeks out abundance and lush creature comforts - warm and cozy places to sleep, dishes full of nourishing foods, a pack of playful companions, and lots of room to roam. She runs through the land with unbound exuberance - no fences holding her back, no leash reining her in. She reaches out with her front paws, touching fur to skin, creating connection, freely giving and receiving love all at once.
With Jasmine, I've discovered something magical about love. I can smell it. An indescribably sweet smell emanates from Jasmine's body when she's happy and content – when she's getting a belly rub or rounding us up to go outside for a walk. We call her enchanting fragrance “Puppy Love.” The exquisite beauty of Jasmine's Puppy Love stops me in my tracks. I want to soak it all up and bask in the feeling, breathe it all in and share some back.
Imagine a world filled with Puppy Love.
Imagine UnLeashing Love.
That's the dream I like to hold - creating a world filled with love so tangible we can even smell it. We can taste it. We can feel it in our bones.
Copyright 2009 © JoAnne Dodgson
JoAnne Dodgson, Ed.D. is a healer, author and teacher in ancient Peruvian medicine ways Ka Ta See – 'living in balance from the heart.' She lives in the enchanted desert mesas of New Mexico. For more information, please visit www.pathwaysforhealing.netor email joanne@pathwaysforhealing.net |
