I've come to realize that as I grow older my Christmas list gets shorter because I've learned the things I really want can't be bought.
That might sound cliché and I guess in a way it is.
Personally, I have found the commercialization of Christmas overwhelming, to the point I've considered boycotting it. But it's not just the copious amounts of money being spent on material things that gets to me, it's more about how we now base our value or our self-worth on these things. The more extravagant and expensive the gift received, the more extravagant our value must be.
We try to fill a void in our soul with stuff. Yet what the soul craves cannot be satiated with the latest smartphone. If it could, we would stop purchasing the "latest and greatest" and be satisfied with what we have. This void can only be satiated by the authentic connections we make with those around us that feed our soul with gifts of joy, peace and love instead of gadgets or bling. Those soulful connections include the ones we have with our dogs.
Our dogs give us the gifts of Christmas every single day of the year and most of us barely acknowledge those gifts.
Ever wonder why a dog is so happy to see us, no matter how long we have been gone? Because dogs value us. Their happy tails are the joy sticks that let us know we are appreciated, and that we are important to them. The simple welcoming gesture of a wagging tail speaks to our soul and makes us feel loved and valued, which instills a sense of self-worth. When your dog happily greets you, take a moment and genuinely thank your dog for letting you know that you are valuable and loved. It will do you wonders.
Peace on earth and goodwill to all - but how does one find authentic peace and share goodwill with others? Through our dogs of course. I recently read a short essay on the connection between animals and the earth. The author claimed that one of the reasons animals are so peaceful is because of their direct contact with the earth's energy beneath their unshod feet. That earth energy enters the body and creates harmony and balance within. And the reason humans feel the overwhelming urge to pet an animal, be it a dog, cat or horse, is because we crave the physical connection and the homeostasis it creates. The essay claimed that first world humans have lost their ability to connect to nature due to their connection with "things" rather than nature. When we share life with a dog (or any animal) we bring some of that nature-based peacefulness back into our lives. The more time we spend with animals, the more authentically peaceful we become. And the more peaceful and stress-free we become, the more we are willing to share goodwill with others.
Joy to the world. Wouldn't that be nice? Especially in the divisive times we have been experiencing lately. Joy is happiness; it is a state of being; it is a choice. Dogs are the most joyous creatures created. If you could ask a dog "What's the best day of the week?" it would answer "Every day." Joy is hard for humans. It takes great effort to look within and find happiness without a specific reason.
We seem to have to find a reason to justify our joy, instead of just being happy for no reason, like a dog. External influences give us momentary feelings of joy, but these feelings are just that - momentary. The joy lasts as long as our interest remains focused on a particular material item. When our interest fades, so does the feeling of joy. That is when we begin looking for the next "thing" to bring us back to a state of joy. It becomes an addiction really. If we could just be happy and grateful for being alive where we are right now with what we have, like our dogs are, we could find that state of internal authentic joy. Gratitude equals joy and joy equals gratitude.
Remember that your dog has no concept of Christmas. It doesn't need the things under the tree to feel peace, love and joy. Dogs live this way every day of their lives. To dogs, every day is Christmas!
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
Joan Klucha has been working with dogs for more than 15 years in obedience, tracking and behavioural rehabilitation. Contact her through her website k9kinship.com.
