Zorro not feeling well (picture taken by me, also not feeling well)
Today, June 21, 2023, I will be asked to decide on end-of-life procedures for my beloved 12-year-old male Chihuahua. To say I am sad cannot express how low I feel.
As an animal chaplain, I have taken a vow to “honor animal lives and heal human hearts.” Today, I will honor Zorro and someday, maybe not today, I will heal my own heart. I know I will need help to do this and I’m uncomfortable asking for help. Giving help is easier for me than asking for it or even accepting it when it is offered.
Life is messy and Terry Hershey’s message below is especially meaningful for me today.
The Messiness of Life
Messiness exposes vulnerability. I will admit, vulnerability is not my strong suit. I do prefer self-sufficiency. And rising above. And yet, self-reliance sounds laudable, but can be an obstacle, because it is difficult to say the words “help” or “thank you.” So, here’s the good news: There is power in embracing vulnerability. And vulnerability never exempts us from the sacrament of the present. Because vulnerability allows us to rest in that touch, that blessing.
—from the book This Is the Life: Mindfulness, Finding Grace, and the Power of the Present Moment
by Terry Hershey
Life Matters 