Liminal Language Between You and Your animal

I write this as I come out of a hard week with my 13-year-old pup, who I thought was on the verge of the threshold, waiting for me to pull the plug as she slowly decided she didn’t have the will to be here. This is the harsh reality that many pet parents go through as their aging dog approaches the final stages of their life.

I sat in meditation, connecting with her spirit along with my special ancestor guide that I run to when I need guidance. My pup, Desi, faced me with an energy of tired sweetness: I am ready anytime, but it is you who is not ready yet.

I turned to my ancestor and cried into her arms, realizing the brutal truth I couldn’t ignore or deny any longer.

I know our pets come into our lives with a mission that is particular to us and our realities. Animals are not afraid of death, and they accept their fate when the time comes. However, that is not to deny the fact that they do not want to leave us at all.

I know Desi doesn’t want to leave me, and I have made sure to communicate with her that I will be okay, despite the internal dialogue I have with my own human self that I cannot live without her. My soul and human self are at odds at this time and, unfortunately, will be. This is the struggle many of us pet parents will endure.

I was guided to take her to the vet to pursue something more for Desi’s pain—and perhaps more time and hope with her—as I accepted that I was not ready. Luckily, she was given something stronger and has gotten more of her old spirit back online since this last week. This is not to say this will last forever, but it is more time and a gift to still be in her presence.

I realized that she represents the love and affection that I felt I never received as a young girl, and the thought of her leaving terrifies me, as my human self feels I won’t have that love anymore.

Experiencing a liminal threshold with our pets can create a reality where you come face to face with your own shadows and selves that you didn’t know you were denying or hiding from.

I have learned in my relationships with my pups the liminal language of seeing things for what they are and accepting them as they are—this can help move the grief and stagnant energy through. It does not take away the pain of them leaving you or absolve the hole in your heart once their physical presence is gone. But it does ease the bondage of your own human self weighing down this heavy burden of not being able to let go or heal a small part of ourselves.

Dogs can be our greatest teachers if we learn to sit and listen to what they show us. They are always communicating with us through their body language, nervous system regulation, movement, facial expressions, displays of behavior, and love.

Do me a favor when you have time—sit with your pet and just be in their presence. Take notice of what arises in your heart as you sit in their energy field.