About Steven AitchisonI am reading a fantastic book just now by Robin Easton called ‘Naked in Eden’. In it Robin shares a story about her connection to a Bandicoot which reminded me a lot of a similar connection I had with my dog ‘Trinty’ (named after the character in ‘The Matrix’).
We bought Trinity, a gorgeous Lhasa Apso, for our son who was terrified of dogs when he was younger. She was a little pup and our son could grow with Trinity and get over his extreme fear of dogs, which he has now. Over 4 years Trinity became my dog, you know how in every family who has dogs, the dog has a special connection with one person, well, I had the connection with Trinity.
Early last year Trinity took ill, she was listless, just lying about and wasn’t eating at all. Concerned I called the vet and took her up to the vet the same day, it was a Friday. The vet advised she would keep Trinity in over the weekend to keep an eye on her. On Saturday morning we got a call to say that Trinity had a rare blood disease and they would keep an eye on her for a few more days and run some more tests.
On Sunday morning at around 4am I had an extremely vivid dream about Trinity. She was lying in her bed, with her little paws folded over each other and her head resting wearily on her paws. She spoke to me and advised it was time for her to leave. I gently stroked her head and said; “are you not getting any better baby?”, Trinity looked at me with big brown eyes, tired and weary and shook her head. I started crying and told her I loved her and how much we loved having her in our lives for the 4 short years. I awoke from the dream with tears streaming down my face.
At about 7 am we got a call from the vet to say Trinity had passed away quietly in her sleep. Naturally I was gutted and it took me a while before I could even talk about it. She was a part of our little family and she was gone. It’s hard for people to understand who don’t have pets just how attached we can get to our non human friends.
The connections we share
I truly believe that we are connected to everything in this world, be it animal, plant, rock etc, we are all evolving at different rates and I believe we can cross boundaries and communicate in some way. My communication with Trinity was real and I often spoke to her mentally which gave us the connection we had. Sound absurd? Maybe, but it helps me reconcile my connection with the real world and by ‘real’ I mean the natural world. As Robin says in her book:
“What happened to our relationship with earth?how did our species lose daily intimate contact with her…………..We fly to the moon, yet we are further away from the stars than ever before”
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Hi Steven,
I’ve always loved animals and nature. My days as kid I always surrounded by them, I lived in the country. Your post touched my soul. Definitively there is a reality behind what we see that we can acknowledge but hard to explain.
Regards…
Melvin recently posted..How to Burn Calories and Shape Up… and Have Fun
Hi Melvin, I am glad this touched you. It is difficult to explain to someone without feeling as if you come from another planet
What a touching post, literally brings tears to my eyes as I remember times losing pets of my own. I had a very similar dream a few years ago when one of our ferrets was old/sick and passed away. It really helped me out a lot.
Pets are very special and they bring a unique kind of joy to our lives. I can recall every pet that I’ve ‘owned’ in my lifetime (which is quite a lot, actually!) They are all so special and unique and I have wonderful memories from each.
Stacy recently posted..Simple Ways to Re-Engerize Yourself
Hi Stacy, thanks for your comment. I think our ‘pets’ do bring something else to our lives as they seem so dependant on us, it’s an amazing type of love we share with them and something that is never forgotten.
Human intelligence is built along the same organic lines as all natural intelligence is and having a pet connects us with the fact. I’m a firm believer all animals have individual personalities and when you find yourself in tune with one of these personalities it kind of drives home the idea ‘you aren’t all there is, you know’.
I had an acquaintance with a friend’s cat (I’m allergic to them when they’re moulting) and the cat would come and talk to me. What I found particularly freaky was I knew what it was saying with almost no previous experience of the cat growing up. I could tell the difference between if it wanted water, food or wanted to be let out (there was no cat flap in the door). When it wanted to come back in it would rattle the letter box.
That cat had me running around after it in minutes of our first introduction. A friend of mine has a parrot that talks to her; it attempts to cheer her up when she looks sad and if she puts a lid on something or shuts a box it comes out with ‘that’s that all sorted then’. It has a really complex repertoire and has fully relevant conversations with her.
I don’t own a pet myself but if I did it would be a little joyful terrier.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Steven.
Carl Harris recently posted..7 Tips for Healing Emotional Stress & Trauma – Michael D Lawrence
Hi Carl, thanks for sharing your stories, I think being sensitive to the energy around us can definitely help us find the lost communication skills we once had with animals and nature.
What a brilliant post that is! That was touching man! But well, to say, I’ve had connections with the world almost every second. I don’t know how it happens, but I constantly stay connected to things. It feels like I’m somewhere in between me and the universal consciousness.
Of course, I drift out sometimes, but just sometimes. I guess because of the emotional balance I’ve with the world. Just like your and Tiffiny’s.
Jaky Astik recently posted..Have an Opinion or just go die!
HI Jaky, it’s a hard feeling to describe, it almost feels like transcendence to another level of existence. Thanks for you comment.
Animals are amazing teachers. Their loyalty, their simple delight in the gifts life has to offer (like sleeping in the sun, as my dog is doing right now!), their ability to sense when we are sad or in pain and to heal gently simply by sitting by our sides, their ability to express joy in the moment. I could go on. We are blessed by their presence in our life. I’m glad you knew such a beautiful connection with a pet, and sad that your experience was cut short. But I know that your life is richer for the experience, as evidenced by your beautiful post.
Topi
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Hi Topi, they really do enrich our lives and minds in so many ways. They are a perfect example of living a simple life and enjoying the moment they live in.
Steven, I’m so sorry for your loss!
What a beautiful story. I have kittens now for the first time in my life and I am learning so much from them. They challenge me all the time to evolve personally and are also showing me the deep connections you speak about. I’m learning to love, but also to let since nothing is ever permanent or lasting. It seems one of the biggest challenges of this life!
Sandra Lee recently posted..Leo Babauta- Can minimalism save the world
Hi Sandra, thanks for your thoughts I appreciate them. It is a big challenge to let go but also to feel a deeper connection at the same time.
Beautiful post Steven. We are connected to one another and to the earth and its creatures and plants in a much more real and intimate way than we realize for sure.
I’ve never had a dog. Mind you, I could feel your experience with Trinity very vividly. But in my present situation living in a new townhome in Denver I have been very much aware of a growing connection with and love for a giant blue spruce tree that grows right outside our front porch.
I go out on the porch early each morning and again in the cool of the evening and admire this tree.
It’s only about ten feet away. I’d guess it’s about 30 foot tall. Now, it’s not like communing with a dog (which I also do, but I get my ‘dog fix’ by introducing myself to the pets of other residents here).
But just as I am very much aware of the presence of this tree — so I believe at some level impossible to prove or define, it is aware of my presence.
How could it not be? Love is one thing. One being, could I say. And there’s a lot of love going from me to this tree…
I haven’t hugged the tree yet, mind you. That would be quite a feat, given its ample girth ….
Thanks for your post Steven. I hope you feel my high regard and respect for you, and how good it is to commune with you.
Christopher Foster recently posted..Eat- Pray- Love- Is authentic happiness in Bali — or in you
Hi Christopher. Get out and hug that tree man
I know it’s not about being a tree hugger, it’s really about connecting with the energy of the world around us and that is something that you obviously feel with the tree outside. In her book Robin talks about communicating with the trees and as crazy as that sounds Robin makes it sound perfectly natural and a lost voice we have with them.
Christopher, we connected the moment we started writing. There is something deeply spiritual about you that I noticed immediately. You have a rare connection to the world, and the people, around you and for that I thank you, and am glad I am in your reality.
Dear precious Steven, I cried reading this story. You will never believe this. My husband and I were just driving home from a quick meal out at Greek restaurant, and somehow the topic of my Australian dog friend came up (I write about him in my second book), and even though that was years ago, I sat in the car and sobbed. My husband was so kind, and even though he’s heard me talk about this dog before, he listened tenderly and was so kind while I cried. Then I came in the house just now and saw this post, I swear WE are connected my good friend. I didn’t just tear up over this, I cried.
I cried for so many reasons. I cried because your heart is still SO open to the natural world. I cried because you got a tiny puppy for your son to help him overcome his fear. I cried because when you mentioned this dream to me a couple of days ago and I said I’d love to hear the story….you told it. Steven NEVER underestimate the incredible beauty of your soul. You have deeply sensitive and caring nature. Trinity knew that. She just ADORED you. She connected with your soul, without words, without explanation. She just “knew”. I cried because your defenses are thin enough that she was able to say goodbye to you ……and you heard her. Oh, that is moving beyond words. And we humans think other species have no soul.
I got shivers just reading this. It is one of the most remarkable stories I’ve read, and it confirms so much for me, what I have sensed in you, how I experience the world, and how other species experience the world. They love deeply. And if we are open we can love and be loved by them. These connections are life altering, healing and unforgettable. Our teachers are not always human.
I cannot thank you enough. I was given a beautiful gift tonight and I hugging you for and sending you, your wife and boys so much love. Thank you my sensitive friend. Robin.
Robin Easton recently posted..There is No Separation
Robin, we were connected from the first words I read of yours and feel even more connected whilst reading your book, there are so many levels to the book that is not immediately apparent and I hope other readers get that. You have the gift of a beautiful voice and an ability to convey that voice in the written word.
‘Our teachers are not always human’ – That’s exactly what I am talking about with you, that ability to say, in a few words, what takes me 1000 words to try and explain. I know Stephen and you share a deep connection and it’s that deep connection and devotion that you have with Stephen that I have with Sharon and our two sons and it’s just beyond words.
You are my mentor Robin and am so glad we are connected.
Hi Eddy, we thought about having another dog in our lives but it doesn’t seem right somehow, so I know what you mean.
Thank you, Steven, for sharing such a beautiful story. Having lost two wonderful cats in the past, I can relate to the heartbreaking experience of losing a special companion. Your relationship with Trinity was special and I think you were very fortunate to have her in your life.
When my last cat passed away, my husband and I decided to get another cat the same day, and we took Cleo in – she’s a rescue we found in the parking lot close to our local pet shop. As soon as we stepped out of the car, Cleo ran towards us; my husband crouched down, and she jumped on his lap and started purring…she adopted us, and she helped us overcome our grief. She was never a replacement – that would be diminishing for her and for our lost companion – she’s another gift from the Universe, a friend we are fortunate enough to share our life with.
Animals can be great teachers, just look how they live in the present, in the now – isn’t that a profound teaching? We’re all connected to each other, to the Earth, and the other creatures living on it.
Thanks for sharing, you brought tears to my eyes – but in a positive way. And thanks for introducing me to Robin’s book
Cristina recently posted..A heartwarming house in the Caribbean
I understand exactly what you mean. My my talks to her dog and is sure she understands (and I think she does!), but I think we all need to listen to that inner voice or whatever you want to call it a little more.
I often have ‘feelings’ about friends and family, I alwys give them a call when this happens and there is always something they need or I can do for them. I think this also exlains a lot of ‘co-incidence’.
I’m sorry about Trinity, it is amazing how quickly dogs become a part of the family and it is heartbreaking when they go.
Kate recently posted..Overcome Regrets
Hi Steven,
This one is right up my alley. I have a parrot for 26 years named Shakespeare. He accompanies me on my daily meditative walks around the pond, and sits with me hour after hour while I collect my thoughts and do my writing. I truly feel connected with him and owe him a debt of gratitude for all he has taught me about myself.
Steven,
What a beautiful dream. How well it illustrates that we are not our bodies, nor are we our brains – we are the soul. The soul is an energy frequency that not only connects us to one another, but does not need an earthly body to survive.
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved pet. It’s heart-wrenching to lose the love of such a pure innocent soul, but she’ll never be far away!
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Hi Steven,
I love your story about your dog and yes I believe we’re connected to animals, plants even rock…everything! Thanks for sharing.
Not exactly sure what we are connected to, but one point that is front and center is we need to understand we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Understanding this creates a world view that focuses more on others, and less of ourselves.
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I’m sorry for your family’s loss, Steven. Trinity sounded like a wonderful dog.
I am definitely a dog lover, although I haven’t had one for a long time. My living conditions don’t permit pets but I’m looking forward to the day that I can have a pet of my own. This story did bring back memories of my last dog though, Mitzi, and I will always remember how smart and trusting and loving she was. Pets absolutely bring wonderful connections into our lives and are worth it.
I totally believe that you were connected to Trinity when you had that dream. It gave me goosebumps reading about it and I’m sure that you were glad that you were able to say Goodbye in your own special way.
Karen
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