I was walking alongside a very busy four-lane road when the cars started to come to a slow stop in both directions.
As I continued to walk along the sidewalk beside the waiting vehicles I witnessed something pretty amazing. A family of Canada geese had begun to cross the four-lane road and everyone came to a stop.
There was not one honk of a horn, no one shouting abuse out the window, no one screeching their tires in impatience once the cars started to move.
"How brilliant is this!" I thought to myself. This family of geese managed to create an environment of complete patience, compassion and understanding with their simple act of crossing the road.
That got me thinking, if that was a human - like me for example - trying to cross a busy road at an unmarked crossing, not only was it unlikely that anyone would stop but they would surely be honked at, yelled at or worse, nearly run over.
What is it about animals that brings out the best in us and why can't we all strive for that level of peaceful, patient compassion for one another, like we do with our animal friends?
I think it's because we instinctively know that animals, like our dogs, don't know any better.
Or do they? Ghandi was quoted as saying, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
What if somewhere deep inside, dogs do know better?
What if they are looking at the human race and seeing the ego-driven madness we are succumbing to and are trying to lead by example. By being exemplary examples of tolerance, acceptance, awareness, patience, compassion and understanding in the hopes that it might rub off on us in time and because they are the tolerant creatures that they are, they are just waiting for us to wake up and take notice.
I've said that dogs or any animal really, are in our lives for many reasons other than to serve as a fourlegged companion and as entertainment. They have many gifts that come from a place of unconditional love, to share with us.
The gift of awareness of the present moment is one of the many things our dog give us.
There have been numerous times I have rushed in the front door, kicked off my shoes in the hallway, thrown the groceries on the counter then done a double-take over my shoulder to see Piper, sitting in the middle of the kitchen. His soft ears always droop off the side of his head and his big brown expressive eyes look straight at me as if to say, "Hey-you forgot to love me!"
At that moment everything stands still, the reason I was rushing vanishes from my mind. I am brought into the present moment with a thud in my heart and I'm completely conscious of the details of that moment. I kneel down in front of Piper and thank him. I thank him for reminding me to return to love.
His task as an angel of love has been completed for the day.
There is wonderful photo floating around the internet of three Labrador retrievers sitting beside each other. One is yellow, one is black the other is chocolate and the caption reads "How are we different? We don't understand."
Now that's something to think about isn't it?
If dogs of so many different colours, breeds and sizes are able to figure it out, why can't we?
The more we take our dogs' lead when it comes to tolerance and compassion the better off the human race will be. Just like the geese who got everyone on that busy street to become the best human beings they possibly could be, even if it was for only the five minutes it took them to cross the road.
They got them to return to a state of love, and that's a start.
