Door to the Inner World

A very special woman sent me this image and quote this morning, and I thought it belonged here. The yearning struck me immediately.

“The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.”

Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes | Artwork by Laura Pelick (www.fallenlights.net)​

​

with grace and gratitude,
^_^

 

Lily Rose, very nice. She's a poet and an artist.

Dogs are one of my main doors.

 

Dogs .... indeed!!



with grace and gratitude,
^_^

 

I love it Lily Rose. This is how we know what to work with to heal those Deep Scars. Awesome
And also to help those roots blossom.
Bless You

 

Thanks for sharing this with us it's beautiful.

 

This is really beautiful. Simple, and yet such a powerful statement - especially for us newbies who are trying to come to understanding.

 

A cute dog, tgrllyct.

Aren't they wonderful!

 

Indeed they are, Walt! This is my little 11- year old Rat Terrier named Smeagle. Best. Dog. Ever!
Animals are definitely a "window" or "main door" for me. In the short time I've been exploring my emotions, I've not only been able to trace deeper thoughts to issues I already knew I had with my father/animals, but I've even had a big Freudian dream that gave me breakthrough with this issue. Of course, I'm still in pain and so apparently there wasn't THE hot button topic. But still enlightening nonetheless!

 

Animals are great teachers. They live in the Now. Their pleasure and pain is expressed as it happens. When they are hurt, we can touch and cuddle and soothe them, and they respond with immediate joy. If we could learn this ............ mmmm

with grace and gratitude,
^_^

 

Smeagle is adorable. Beautiful alert eyes.

A great name. Is it a boy or a girl?

 

Thanks Walt - he's a boy. He has the most adorable under-bite you've ever seen! And his personality? He loves everyone - just such a joy to have around!

 

Oh, wow! Smeagle is gorgeous. I love his tongue, like a long slice of ham.

And his big beautiful eyes are full of love.

My dog Max, before Annie, had that long a tongue he showed when he smiled.

I'm going to keep Smeagle on my desktop.

He's a mix of Beagle and what?

 

Thanks Walt - he's actually a Rat Terrier, so is not mixed with anything. People mistake him for a Jack Russell all the time. I love your poetic description (tongue like a long slice of ham! ha!) Here's my more artistic version of that shot!

 

Smeagle is a beautiful rat terrier. So they like to hunt rats?

 

Well he's never had opportunity to chase a rat, but he sure does have fun chasing squirrels up trees! I think he and the squirrels make a game of it - the squirrels taunt him and stay just out of reach and flick their tails at him to tease him on! He never goes for the kill, though - just fun for him. The breed was originally bred for hunting small game. After owning this little guy, I swear I'll always own a rat terrier - they are that wonderful! Here's some info from Wikepedia on the breed:

An American breed, the Rat Terrier was created by immigrants using a mixture of crosses of old time Fox Terriers and other European Terriers common in the 19th century; the Old English White Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Bull Terrier, etc.; and later more Smooth Fox Terrier, Beagle, Toy Fox Terriers, Whippets and Italian Greyhounds. From 1910 through the "dust bowl" era of the 1930s, the Rat Terrier was one of the most common farm dogs, used for ratting, hunting varmints and other work.

Although often mistaken for a Jack Russell Terrier, the Rat Terrier has a different profile and a very different temperament. Rat Terriers are sleeker in musculature, finer of bone, and have a more refined head. They always have a short single coat, rather than being wire coated.

Rat Terriers tend to be less aggressive than Jack Russells; while they have a definite terrier personality they also have an "off switch" and love lounging on the sofa in a lap as much as tearing about the yard. Rat Terriers are normally cheerful dogs, and they tend to be calmer and more sensitive than Jack Russells to changes in their environment, owner's moods, or to unexpected noises, people, and activities. The social sensitivity of Rat Terriers makes them very trainable and easier to live with for the average pet owner, but it also means that extensive socialization from an early age is critical. Proper socialization of a Rat Terrier puppy includes exposing the animal to a wide variety of people and places, particularly during the first three months of life. Like most active and intelligent breeds, Rat Terriers tend to be happier when they receive a great deal of mental stimulation and exercise.

 

Thanks for the info on rat terriers. I don't think I ever met one.
I've loved black lab mixes. I guess with dogs it's like cars... we find a good breed and stick with it.

I've come to feel that all dog breeds are wonderful.

 

Here's my Jaspa . She was given the name coz she was rescued outside a restaurant here in HK called Jaspa's as a puppy. Rose, her previous owner was a Tianamen Square student protester in China who fled to HK and became a journalist here. When Jaspa was 4, Rose had to leave HK to immigrate to NY & couldn't take her.

We were at the restaurant 8 yrs ago when we saw Jaspa with a sign around her neck asking to be adopted & it was love at first sight. Rose was very upset at having to give her up but Jaspa adjusted to her new home with us within hours as if she knew she belonged with us.
Rose returns to China nearly every year from N Y to visit her parents & stops specially in HK now with her daughter just to visit & be with Jaspa for a day. She will catch up with friends only after she has visited us & her daughter Lucia is besotted with the dawg.

She is the best thing that has happened us.

 

Awwww, Mala ... I love that story. She is gorgeous. I love the story, too. Our connected threads.

Tg - sweeeet!

Animals are our soul-friends.

with grace and gratitude,
^_^

 

Jaspa is beautiful, and I too love the story about how you got her.

 

Aww - Jaspa is really beautiful. Such soulful eyes. Thank you for sharing.
Our pets are such good therapists, aren't they? Life is so simple for them - they don't need to analyze - they just feel. We can certainly learn a lesson from them.

Walt - we used to have a black lab named Sammy. Such a good dog, and fond memories. I think you're right - when you find a breed you connect with you tend to stick with that. Of course, I'm a huge advocate of animal rescue and getting a mixed breed dog. Sometimes they are the best - it's almost as if they "know" that they have been saved from a perilous situation and appreciate you all the more for it. We tried to get a Rat Terrier from a rescue group (when we decided to get one way back when), but after weeks of trying to contact them and adopt a dog, nobody would respond to our inquiries (I was a vet tech and we had property with a fenced yard and they still wouldn't respond! Go figure!) - so we ended up getting Smeagle through a breeder. Here is a picture of our Doberman, named Linus, of whom we had gotten Smeagle as a companion for. We lost him to bloat a few years ago. He was such a goofy tenderheart. A person could break into our home with frisbee (his obsession!) in hand and take whatever they wanted - he was just a big playful soul!