In previous posts I have talked about the need to practice quieting the mind, trusting the process of life and being in gratitude. This past week while we were in Minnesota for a family reunion, I needed to use these steps in a big way. We got a call from our local vet saying that Sophia, our young Australian Shepherd, had been lost, and almost hit by a car. A woman had called in for information about who she belonged to. The vet assistant gave us the number for the woman who said she had Sophia.
Believe me our hearts were in our throats as we began calling to piece together what was happening. When we called the woman, she said someone had just taken Sophia, but she had no description of that person. When we asked where she lived, it was miles from our home and at this point we did not know where our other dog, Chelsey, was. We texted and called our pet sitter repeatedly with no response. I had to simply focus on quieting my mind, which quieted my emotions. I had to tell myself to trust that what was happening was meant to be happening and then I struggled to find what I was grateful for in that moment.
I began to think that at least Sophia was no longer roaming the streets. I was grateful for our neighbor who went to our house and saw that Chelsey was safe at home. I prayed for angels to help everyone involved and then I began to quiet my mind again. I actually had moments of inner peace in the midst of the fearful experience.
Slowly Kit and I began to figure out what must have happened for Sophia to be so far from home and that gave us some comfort that she had not been running wild for miles. Back to quieting my mind, trusting and being grateful. After an hour, we finally heard from our pet sitter who had left her phone in her car as she went on foot searching for Sophia. She was a wreck. Sophia had just run off from the barn that she was at and did not come when called. We realized as time went by that Sophia did not come because the other woman had picked her up and had her in her car.
We were all very grateful that Sophia was fine and on her way home. In a few minutes our pet sitter sent us an email with photos of both of the dogs at home “on house arrest”. We were flooded with feelings of relief and I was grateful that I had been able to get through the experience with a little less distress by using the spiritual practices that I had been learning.
