Saturday, December 29, 2012

Shake It Off



Earlier this morning, I took my dog, Thor, out for a walk. The snow was coming down heavily adding to the twelve inches that fell a few days ago.  

As we walked along, enjoying the beauty of the fluffy white coating everywhere I looked, I noticed that every few minutes Thor would shake off the snow that had accumulated on his brown burled coat. Since I'm usually opened to be inspired by a metaphor, this noticing was no exception. 



What struck me was that most humans tend to not shake off what bothers them very easily.  We tend to carry the struggles that have accumulated in our lives as if they are badges of honor rather than letting them go once they've passed. I suppose holding memories may not necessarily be harmful, but if we stay focused on how we have been victimized, or hurt or suffered in some way, we prolong the hurt and suffering, like opening up an old wound over and over again. 

If we tended to shake off whatever accumulates in our lives, like Thor shakes off the snow, it seems we would find ourselves walking a more comfortable path that would keep us focused on appreciating where we are in the present moment and looking forward to where we're headed. 

An amusing ending to this story is when we returned home and I walked passed a mirror, I noticed two inches of snow accumulated on top of my hat. Perhaps if I was more aware, I would have shaken it off earlier. 


2 comments:

Kathleen Richardson said...

Absolutely 'spot-on', Kate. Thanks for the reminder that dogs have more sense than we do. They lead such simple, happy lives.

Kate Sholonski (moderator) said...

Yes....perhaps I will learn this lesson in the new year. Happy New Year, Kathleen....may it surprise you by how good it can get!