Live Each Day
Her horse is doing fine now, living outside, eating a nutritious diet; he is happy and full of energy. Still, she worries.
Her horse is prone to melanomas. A few years ago, he had a severe patch of them growing under his tail, growing inward as well as outward.
They were removed, at great cost, and with his new diet and lifestyle, he has done well ever since. Still, she worries.
Telling me the story, she begins to cry. This will happen again. The surgery was a temporary measure. What will she do when it happens again? She can’t afford the surgery again. She cannot allow him to suffer. She will have to put him down.
She collapses into grief telling me this.
I remind her that he is completely healthy now, enjoying life, that sweet fall is upon us, cool, bug-free nights. I remind her to enjoy every day she has with him.
Every single day.
***
Huggy is dying. This sweet, handsome, black-and-white cat has cancer in his gut. I have been working with him twice a month for about six months. The Reiki sessions have resulted in increased energy and increased appetite. He is thin, hasn’t gained weight, but he has stopped losing weight.
During the sessions, he has explained what food he likes and doesn’t like (or isn’t agreeing with him), his response to certain medications and herbs, his feelings about his surroundings (other cats and so on).
His human does her best to accommodate him while, at the same time, taking care of herself. She does not dwell on the future. She lives each day.
After my last session with Huggy, his human sent me this note:
We had such a lovely moment last week. I was reclining in bed watching TV. He came and sat on my chest. I petted him, and after a while he scooted over to the crook of my arm. He finally ended up on his back with his head on my shoulder, two good friends hangin’ out. These sweet lovey times do us both good.
***
Chloe was born a wild mustang, captured, mistreated. Her current (and forever) home is at a small private rescue in the mountains of Colorado. Chloe’s kidneys had been damaged from starvation, and she wasn’t given much hope for surviving. The cold spring had Chloe on the edge, shivering uncontrollably, refusing to eat hay, but unable to eat the deeply snow-covered grass.
I shared a Reiki treatment with her weekly for several months. She improved so much, I have now reduced them to every other week. Her human takes her on daily walks along wooded trails, hours-long walks, since she can no longer run free. A trainer successfully introduced Chloe to a blanket; her humans have fenced a larger pasture for her to run in; Chloe has become strong, healthy, balanced.
But there is no way to know if Chloe will survive the winter, the winter that has already come to the mountains of Colorado. The days are still warm, but the nights are very, very cold.
A few weeks ago, Chloe’s human shared her worry over what might happen. Thinking about losing her was almost too much to bear. Thinking about her suffering was even worse.
But when Chloe made clear in a session that she is happy and feeling good, that she is enjoying the sunshine and the long walks and the sweet days in her new pasture, her human relaxed into this sweetness.
I received an email today, after a lovely Reiki session with Chloe. Her human shared that she woke up a few nights ago and was moved to check on Chloe who, even though blanketed, was shivering. It took two more blankets to bring her warmth.
But the heart of her email was this:
How nice to hear that-she is definitely rallying! I take her on walks every day for 2-3 hours looking for yummy grazing spots—she loves it and so do I! And she and I have finally gotten to a good place with blanketing. The silly girl has a full wardrobe of different weights and styles of blankies 🙂 she has even been eating some hay! I love her even more than ever if that is possible-she is so sweet and snugly and silly 🙂
No one can know what the future will bring. All we can do is live each day.
If you have received this post via email, just click on the title to respond. I hope you will be moved to share your thoughts.
6 Replies to “Live Each Day”
Oh Pam…how true that statement is … on many levels (both human and animal related). I can only think of my taking in Montana at his age and body condition. Well meaning people of course ask, how long do horses live? My reply, they can live to be well into their 30s with the right kind of care, etc. But, how long I would have Montana was not a concern … whether I had him a month, a year or 10 years, my focus was on giving him the love, respect and best possible life for as long as he was in my care. I enjoy and treasure each day he (and Holly and Cruiser) are in my life … teaching me life’s valuable lessons, and when their job is done and it’s time to say good bye, I will know I’m a better person for having them in my life and they will cross the Rainbow Bridge having spent their final days in the best way possible.
Thank you for always sharing your stories and giving us something to think about.
Nancy
Thank you for reading, Nancy, and for your thoughtful, loving response.
I remember when my Nikos was stricken with EPM. (For you non-horsey folks, this is a terrible disease that attacks the nervous system.) I cared for him around the clock for three months, sleeping in my clothes so that I could easily check on him several times throughout the ight.
I remember that every time I walked into the barn, every single time, my heart would soar at the sight of his sweet face. He was upright; he was facing me. I knew that we had one more day.
He brought out qualities in me I didn’t even know I had. I couldn’t agree with you more that they teach us life’s valuable lessons.
I do not have my own dog, horse, or cat that I am very close with, but this lesson extends out to all of our relationships and every aspect of our lives. This lesson has been very hard for me to learn. Sometimes I can take each day as it comes at me, but by nature I tend to be a very nervous, anxious person who worries excessively. Over-worrying is such a waste of emotion and is damaging to us on all levels. I have trouble trusting that things will work out ok and trusting myself to make the right decisions, afraid of doing something wrong and making some huge mistake in my life. When things get to be to much for me to handle, I do the only thing that helps me feel better. Pray…and pray…and pray. I know that each moment is precious and that when I lose myself to worry and anxiety, I am only hurting myself (and those close to me in my life). I have to remind myself to slow down, breathe, and have more faith.
Thank you for your response, Kylie.
You know why it doesn’t make sense to worry? It not only creates unhealthy stress for you and your loved ones, it also doesn’t do one darned bit of good.
Remember the Reiki precept: Just for today, I will not worry.
This is a tough one for all of us. When worry bores it’s way into my brain, I change the channel, turn my thoughts to a creative pursuit.
It works.
Pam, I just read this article and loved it. You always have something valuable to share. Thanks for doing so.
Thank you for reading, Jeff.