I adopted a dog recently. It is my first dog ever. I made the decision based on many factors. One of them being the fact that I wanted to help get my son Dylan over being terrified of dogs. His phobia was so bad that if we were at the park and he saw a dog, a half mile away, that was was not even facing his direction he would yell and sometimes run, which could include running into the street. It made it difficult to go to the park or for walks in the woods. Outdoor walks are one of the few things that all three of us enjoy. Going to a new friends house that had a dog was difficult because it could take up to 20 min to get him in the door. I was ready to get him past all this and open up his world a little bit.
I had the nudge to get the dog. That same day the lady from the rescue brought Chevy over for us to meet and I knew we had the right one for us when Dylan walked out of his room and right up to the dog and started petting him. It was a miraculous moment for me and Luke who had witnessed years of freak-out from the mere suggestion that a dog could be close by. Dylan has continued to live in harmony with Chevy. Chevy is very gentle with Dylan and will lick Dylan's hands and feet , which brings him great joy. Every once in a while Dylan will freak out a bit and be scared of Chevy. Not because Chevy has done anything threatening but it is more that Dylan will forget that he is not afraid anymore. So I remind him that Chevy is his friend and tell him to put his hand out to let Chevy sniff. Dylan will calm down and put his hand out and Chevy will lick him and Dylan will laugh and will talk about how Chevy is his friend.
It struck me the other day how I can be like this at times. I have old old stories that I have let go of and made peace with the past. The old feelings will get triggered by an event in my life and I feel my thoughts, and sometimes my body, go into panic mode/fear mode. Sometimes I'll think that it is sign that I am regressing or that I hadn't really healed what I thought I had. But really I forgot for a moment that I'm not scared anymore. So I stop take a deep breath and let Spirit lick my hand (yes, I am a freak like that.) I move back into my power and alignment and soon I am laughing and feeling my bliss.