Today is the one year anniversary of the day we put Blue down here on our own property. Her four month run with aggressive bladder cancer had taken over. I think of her every day and I cherish the gifts she brought, and the teachings that really sank in after she crossed over. She taught me so much about being wild, as she was a street stray from south-central Los Angeles.
She came to us wounded and afraid, and we figured out how, in ten years, to become each other's best friends. When I write those words, "wounded and afraid", tears come bursting out of my eyes. I saw how strong and confident she became with some nurturing that she could count on. As I've learned to do this for myself, I see it in me, too. Even in her last weeks, she gently asserted her boundaries in what would be her final acts of self-care.
I also see it in friends who are nursing their own wounds, and family members who are discovering that they have everything they need to be satisfied contained within them. Like a beautiful and magical seed, just waiting for the conscious breath to bring the Self alive and into the light.
Just like Blue. When she shined, which was every day after the one in which she began to trust us, it came out of her pores, her laughing smiles, her joyful gallop through the woods. It was infectious, of course.
I'm gathering supplies for a simple ceremony to honor her life:
White sage for smudging ourselves
A handful of Lavender buds because we rubbed it into her fur as she passed last year
A jar of birdseed, our offering to the East, the direction of new beginnings
A drum and rattle to vibrate with the sacred Earth that holds us all while we are here
My necklace which reads "trust" on the front and "always" on the back, because it comforts me in all matters, including grief
Ceremony helps me transition into a new place of being with my feelings or to celebrate a passage for myself or someone dear. What I'm wanting today is to honor my friend, to share that process with my children, and to connect with the Earth and all life as this season transitions, too.
If you feel like sharing, please tell me how you use ceremony or ritual to bring vitality to your experiences.
