I decided that I really needed to get away. I was feeling a bit disconnected and overwhelmed at work. Since everyone was gone, I had to take Duke, my dog. No one was home to care for him. Before I left, I thought about not taking Duke. He is turning 13 this year, and he probably won’t be able to keep up with what I want to do. I thought to just leave him with the woman who grooms him. I kept thinking, if I take him, it’s going to be different. His energy will pull me. I will have to take care of him. Keep him from chasing squirrels and other small animals. Make sure he doesn’t leave the trail. I would not be able to hike some of the harder trails.
Then I heard my inner voice say… One day, you will be old. You will not want to be left behind. You would want to go. Do you want a loved one to leave you behind because you can’t keep up? That’s when I decided to take him. As we hiked together the first day, I could see him panting and struggling a bit. He was so tired. But he made it. We did a nice walk after that around Ship Harbor. I had never done it. It was very meditative. That night, we went to the top of Cadillac Mountain for sunset.
I could smell the air, I could feel the wind and sun, I could hear the ocean, and then I could not hear, see or smell yet I could feel all of them deep inside me all at once and I felt this huge love and compassion for everyone and everything. When I felt that, Duke came over to me and put his head on my chest. And I saw the bigger picture. My decision to take him opened my heart, my love and compassion for him, and everything around me felt like love too. My love and inner joy. The next day we hiked another mountain and he did a little better. We then meditated by the sea and Duke laid down next to me on the rocks and seaweed and seemed to be meditating too. On our last day, we walked 5 miles around Jordan Pond, and it was just amazing at 7 am. So quiet and beautiful. As we walked, I did have to be aware of how he was doing, but otherwise, he was my silent partner. He never spoke to me. We just wandered around together and spoke with energy, no words. He ended up being the perfect companion for this trip. On our way home, he slept the whole way. I just smiled and had an enormous appreciation for my friend. I suspect he felt the same way, not being left behind.
Moral: Ask your heart, and you will find what you need to get from this.