“I am like the Moon, you will see me with new face everyday.” Rumi
“Anyone who knows me, should learn to know me again;
For I am like the Moon,
you will see me with new face everyday.”Rumi
Mother Nature provides us with clear illustrations that change is a certainty of earthly life. We all know that the only constant is change.
We are shown every day that the sun will rise and and the sun will set. Night becomes day, day becomes night. The cycles will continue long after those reading this in 2015 are gone.
The photo above of the full moon was taken on August 10th, 2014 in Berlin. There have been seven full moons since and I witnessed them from Berlin, Dublin, Toronto, New York and Boston. My placement on earth was different, the moon remained in my view all the same. And now here I am in March 2015, back in Berlin.
The sunrise was taken at Sandymount Strand, Dublin, on the 14th of February 2013. I have seen countless stunningly beautiful sunrises since then. I chose to use the photo of this one though, as it illustrates change on different levels for me.
This is the beach I used to take my dog, Panther, for walks. I took this photo on the morning he passed. We knew we had to bring him to the vet- he was such a giving doggy; he was holding on to life despite immense pain because he could feel we were clinging to him, his humans didn’t want him to leave.
Valentine’s Day 2013 was five days after my 32nd birthday, Panther was 16. I still miss his beautiful self- how could I not when half my life featured his dear and sweet presence?
I am grateful I got to be with him at that time and hold him as he passed. I told him how much he brought to each of his human family’s life. How much we all loved him and were so thankful for the amazing job he did, being our loyal and ever-giving companion.
As other dog lovers will get (and those who aren’t may not), he truly provided support to me through so much of my life. He was the one constant companion always by my side, never judging me, loving me in sad times, happy times, angry times, quiet times- always unconditionally loving me no matter my mood or state of mind.
Change can be painful. Change can be sad. Change can bring upheaval into our lives. But if we can see change as part of the natural order and see change from a new perspective- and there is always a different perspective to be had- we can see what an amazing force change is.
We were all incredibly sad that Panther had to change from his physical form but he was relieved from the physical pain and indignities that had come about in the last few weeks and months of his life.
As a family we were joined in grief. We spoke together and laughed together about his life- how my older sister came home one day to find him standing on the kitchen table eating from the sugar bowl, how he loved to run on the beach into the water, how he would jump around like a lunatic with me and my brother because we too were jumping lunatics, how he was so gentle with my younger sister as she was scared of dogs when we first got him but his loving presence impacted her so much, she now has her own dog; how in countless ways he helped each of us to not feel so alone in this world. He embodied true selfless love in a way that humans with all their emotions, judgments and intellectualising of things, often don’t.
My beautiful Yogi Dog, Panther
In confronting his passing, we all spoke of our love for each other as well as for him. My mum and I spoke of the realisation that his death was so hard for us to deal with because he was the one being in our lives that we never felt judged by- he always accepted us as we were in every single moment, warts and all. What a gift that realisation is. We can take that lesson and apply it to our lives- try to live by his selfless example.
When we allow the knowledge that death is a certainty to permeate our daily lives, it gives us the motivation to act with integrity, respect, compassion and love in every moment. As we allow the realisation in, we fully understand that there is no guarantee there will be a moment beyond the one we are in.
Change is nature’s way of reminding us to cherish that moment we are in- and to cherish those we share it with.
In truly allowing the message of change into our hearts and minds, we can learn to fully appreciate that our time here is short. We can appreciate that living our one life with passion and kindness- including towards ourselves- is a wise course of action. We can learn to see the blessings in any situation, no matter the emotions we go through. We can learn to be calmer and more in flow because we then know for a certainty, no matter what emotion, situation or predicament we are in, it will pass.
From the moment we are born, we change and grow and move toward death. Change and death are the only certainties in life.
Why then, as a collective, do we spend so much time trying to escape change?! Why do we cling to ideas, relationships and beliefs that no longer serve us, far beyond when we know we need to let go? Why do we speak of death in hushed tones? Why do we fear even speaking of it? Why and how have we lost touch with the very principle of life?
Nature reminds us of our mutability in many obvious ways- the sun rises and sets, the moon cycles through its phases, seasons arrive and pass, plants, flowers and animals are born, grow and die…
We humans have collectively decided to take ourselves out of the cycles of Mother Nature- to see ourselves ‘above’ these cycles, ‘too evolved’ to be part of the natural order.
We over-farm lands to overgrow crops, and ignore that fruits and vegetables are seasonal. We see ourselves at the top of the evolutionary table, killing vast numbers of animals, bringing many to the brink of extinction- extinguishing countless others. We lay waste to rainforests and cause desertification. We knowingly use products and industrial methods that cause global temperatures to rise… the pettiness and disdain with which humans treat each other, let alone the vast lifeforms they share this planet with, surely shows how unevolved our species is!!
In the natural order, we acknowledge and feel part of the cycles. In the natural order, we know that we are animals too, subject to the laws of nature just like the rest of the earth’s inhabitants. Unlike them, we seem to be angry about this and try to fight it; destroying our environment, destroying our food sources, exhausting resources and you know, generally killing the earth and the chance of a future for humanity or the beautiful wildlife that share this globe with us… Seriously, how do vast numbers of humanity think they are smarter than and ‘above’ the animal kingdom?!
If we wake up and realise that we ARE part of nature, that we ARE part of the cycles, all parts of our lives will become more in balance and will be much easier to navigate.
The natural world shows us life isn’t meant to be 24/7, non-stop, go, go, go- winter is a time to slow down and spend time in our caves resting and dreaming, spring is a time for rebirth and ressurection, summer beams with vibrancy, growth and energy, autumn is a time for decay and leads us back to the time of rest… When we can fully live in nature’s cycles, we can see how this harmony seeps naturally into our daily lives. When we embrace and don’t suppress them, emotions come and go. Trials come and go, hurt, pain, happiness, joy, relationships, people…they all come and go throughout our lives. These are certainties.
So, it seems wise to embrace change. It seems wise to acknowledge that death is a natural part of life. It seems wise to love and live passionately every day.
Show yourself in thought and deed how much you want to live completely. Show everyone in your life how much they mean to you. Show all the world how deep your love for this life is:
Let go of fear. Let go of holding on. Surrender to the flow of life.
With love and light,
Laura.x
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