Bo and Benny
I have a shadow. His name is Benicio Del Perro. Benny is a big black dog with huge bear feet. He looks like they took all the leftover parts at the dog factory and stuck them together. He has german shepherd legs, a husky tail, a lab’s forehead and rottweiler markings on his face.
Benicio Del Perro means “Blessed of the Dogs”. We cross-country ski in the winter, and when I fall, he puts his head under my shoulder to push me up.
He is my shadow, and he looks out for me. Whatever I need from Benny, he’s there to give.
Each day, I learn more about how our pets do a lot for us, and how they’d do more if we asked. They are here to teach us, and to care for us. We are here to do the same for them. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe this, especially when a cat is pounding on the bedroom door demanding to be fed at 3 in the morning.
A couple of months ago, I talked with a very sad horse. She had unexpectedly lost her dear horse friend, Crystal. The grieving mare said, “Crystal carried my heavy heart.”
That sums up the work our pets do for us. They carry our heavy hearts.
When I am stressed out, my cat Bo purposefully strides over and sits on my lap. He is a healer cat, here to suck the negative energy out of me. He purrs and settles in. By focusing on petting Bo, I stop worrying for a moment. That little change in my attention is enough to kick-start my creative process and get me back in the flow.
I still catch myself thinking: “Oh, here’s the cat again. Can’t he see I’m busy?” Dr. Bo doesn’t care whether I think I need his care or not. He’s giving it to me.
Try this awareness exercise. The next time you’re feeling bad or you have a problem, tell your pet about it and ask him to help you. Then see what happens. It won’t necessarily be obvious. Your dog won’t dig a briefcase of money out of the backyard. Or maybe he will. You never know.
