Total and Unconditional
My love for nature and animals…
“This is what you should do - love the earth, the sun and the animals.”
(quote by Walt Whitman)
This quote goes on to say despise riches, give alms to all who ask, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others…and your very flesh shall be a great poem.
I was thinking about this quote and searching deep inside to find meaning that I could apply to my own life. Truth is I have nothing left to give except what labor I can offer and I question stupid and crazy as in what context. Am I a poem at all?
So then I focused on the first line…love the earth, the sun, the animals. This resonates within me with a warm cozy feel. I love animals so much!
I'm reminded of a book I read called “Gabby” written by Barby Keel. I loved this story from the bottom of my heart. The lady in the story owned her own animal rescue. To me, she was living my life. The life I never got to have.
As my thoughts wandered around loving the earth, the sun, the animals, I found that I've lived many different lives in my time here at my different ages. I've experienced and lived through many lifestyles and have no idea how I was led to each of them exactly.
Did I miss the window to have my life as the owner of an animal rescue? I dreamt often of my rescue and daycare. In my dream I called my place Patty’s Paws. I had 20 acres of land and I had a four-plex to house the employees that helped care for all the animals. I even had a vet on-site. I had two trucks and a trailer for going out to pick up animals that needed to be rescued.
My dream started when I saw how many dogs were kenneled at my vets. I would drop off my two big dogs when we took road trip vacations to California. I paid $100 a day for both dogs and provided my own food for them. I didn't think they got any attention outside of getting fed and watered in the morning but I needed someone to do that for me. I had no neighbor friends at the time plus at night the vet kennel people would bring the dogs inside to their respective cages.
In each sequence of dreams following the thought of kenneling animals while people went on vacation, I would add details of how I could have the best for these pets including the cameras for people to see their pets like they have at the really expensive boarding places.
I started with a RV and the land I purchased while waiting for my house to be built. I put up the fences and a large barn-like building which I expanded into three separate barns. In the loft of one would be stored hay and grain to feed a few horses and goats. One other barn would be for cats to lodge and another larger barn for the dogs. There would be separation of the larger aggressive dogs from the senior dogs. Puppies and under two would have their own space with a large area out to a place for them to romp a few times a day.
I incorporated into my dream the home for the employees and vet on-site. I started figuring out what my cost would be so I could charge the minimal amount to customers. I started donations for rescuing animals and breeding puppies to good homes. My dream went on forever. Life would distract me and then my dream would return.
Why then did the dream end and I never took the steps to make it come true? It wasn't just a money thing. I could have purchased land and my house built for under $250,000 fifteen to twenty years ago.
I think fear of failure was the reason that prevented me from trying a big project like my own rescue. I think not making myself a priority to take care of my own happiness was another. Now I believe my age, lack of financial freedom and knowing I can't take the big risks anymore (or even care for a large number of animals as well as organize people to work for me that are passionate about the animals) all plays a part in why that dream was ended a few years back.
Maybe we somehow create our own windows of opportunity. I must have been confused about working in customer service jobs! Smile!
To fulfill a dream you should trust yourself and create your own reality. Anything is possible!
