Gratitude

Gratitude....... This past week, I was reminded just how much we need to be grateful for every minute, and every second, of every day.  As I wrote the last blog, I knew that Kirsty, my four-legged friend, was nearing the end of her long, much loved life.  However, it was within hours of posting the blog post, that she had deteriorated to the point where I had to call the vet.  I knew I was possibly going to have to make a very difficult decision and decided to go to my 16G cards (I will write more about 16 Guidelines for a Happy Life in more detail soon).  The card that I chose/chose me was 'Principles'.  This was very interesting, as I have very strong principles when it comes to the end of life care, of both myself and my animals.  Any decision had to have Kirsty at the centre, with my feelings taking a firm second place.    Later that morning she crossed 'The Rainbow Bridge' to reunite with her pals, Ben and Rannoch.  It was a peaceful end, as she drifted off to sleep with Reiki sparkles (something she loved her whole life) easing her last breaths. 

The next morning was the first morning in just under twenty years, that I woke up to no dog in the house.   It was very empty and I wondered what sort of day lay ahead (the 16G card was 'Aspiration' that morning).  It was time to benefit from the other tools in my tool box!  I started to tap on that awful emptiness.  I was soon tapping on the gaping chasm in my heart. However, as I tapped that round, it came to me that the chasm wasn't empty at all, it was full of the love that Kirsty and I had shared over the years.  I began to feel that the level of emotion was easier to accept.  I ended up tapping on the fact I had not been ready for Kirsty to go. Again, it came to me during that round, that I would have never 'been ready' for that moment and that I had so many years to look back on, with so much gratitude for her friendship.  That got me to the elusive zero! However, even though I felt at a 0, I still felt sad.  I ended the session tapping on that, realising that it was right to feel sad, it was ok to feel sad, and now it was a 'calm' sadness that seemed more bearable. 

For those of you wondering how 'Aspiration' fitted so well into that day (as it does every day!), I will share the meaning, as recorded in the 16G book:

'Aspiration is the profound longing for purpose and fulfilment, joy and happiness, which lies deep - and sometimes buried - in our hearts, and in the heart of every living being.  It is the voice inside that urges us to use our life well and to make the best of whatever gifts and passions we possess.  The way we choose to respond to that voice will determine all the other choices we make in our lives.'

Yet again, 16G helped to frame that day and remind me why I do what I do.