Love - A Christmas Miracle

Love gives people strength to overcome even that which seems impossible. 

It’s not just people that love gives courage to. It’s animals too. 

I’ve lived in a little road on the outskirts of a pretty Andalucian village for a year and a half. In front of the house I rent, there is a large piece of mountainous wasteland. Every day, since I’ve been here, a little abandoned doggie has punctually appeared from nowhere, sat on the roadside waiting for someone to come along and feed her or a dog or two to play with, and then disappeared again in the evening. 

For a whole year I gave her treats and bits and bobs of food. I tried to get close to her but, despite being grateful for the food, she wouldn’t let me near her. She shied away from me just as much as she shied away from most people who passed her by without giving her a second look. 

Then, just recently, instead of putting her food out on the wasteland, like everyone else, I decided to start putting her food in a little plastic container, going out and sitting with her while she ate. The first few days, she would grab a mouthful and run off to eat it. Then, she’d come back, grab another mouthful and run off with that too. On one or two occasions she grabbed the whole plastic dish and ran off with it. It was simultaneously one of the cutest and funniest things I’d ever watched.  Over the course of the next few days, she started to eat her food from the bowl while I sat next to her. Then, Christmas morning, she came straight up to me, and ignoring the food, she licked my hand and allowed me to pet her.

I felt emotional tears swell in my eyes when this beautiful creature released a little cry as I gave her a soft caress on the cheeks. I found myself saying: “Today’s Christmas. I’m not Santa Claus but I can give you food and a forever home if you’d like one. They’re the only gifts I can offer you. If you want them, all you have to do is come in the house.”

I don’t know if she understood me or not but, I left the front door open all day. After five hours of sitting outside the door, poking her head in, running back out, crying out to me and trying to put one paw in front of the other, she very timidly and fearfully came in. Her belly was almost dragging along the floor as she shook, and panted, uncontrollably with fear; salivating extensively at the mouth. It was the first time, in her life, that she’d ever set paws inside a building where a human lives. It was a true Christmas miracle. The love shown to her gave her enough courage to take a leap of faith. 

I wasn’t sure how she’d react to me closing the door but, I’m happy to say she stayed the night. 

It’s boxing day and today, I let her out in the morning. She ate in her usual spot outside the door with me sat next to her. She then stayed out in the sun all day. She greeted all her regular friends who come by to say hello and check up on her. She played with our friendly neighbours’ dogs. She sat outside the door; making sure it was still open and, this afternoon she came back home. She laid on a blanket I put down on the floor for her and I’m happy to report she’s still there. I’m also very ecstatic to report that she let me pick her up and cuddle her. She even rolled over on to her back so I could stroke her belly. Since that is the most delicate area on an animal’s body, exposing it to someone is a huge sign of trust. 

Who chose who in this love story? I’m not sure, but the bravery and trust shown by this little creature taught me such a big lesson that I too put my big girl bloomers on and faced my “unfounded” fears as I headed on home. 

However, that home isn’t a physical place. It’s a still, and peaceful, Energetic place where everything is so familiar and snug and warm and cosy.  It’s an intense feeling of belonging and being immersed in eternal love. It’s a place where there’s no judgment and no criticism, and it’s a place where there’s always someone, unconditionally, waiting with open arms. It’s a place we may move away from but in the end, we’ll always come back to it. 

If I hadn’t surrendered and let the strength of Love guide me, I would have missed out on the warm embrace that awaited me. 

Conclusion - fear is like poison Ivy. Once it takes root, it grows uncontrollably and takes over the garden. On a rampage, it will destroy everything in its path and suffocate the life out of trees.  Fear is the energy that paralyses someone from following their dreams, listening to their heart and living life to their fullest potential.