Letting Go

Aug 16 2015


                                                         

Many of you know and love our four legged family friend Lucy also known as Lu or Lu-bear.  Lu has been in our family for over 14 years.  She has basically grown up with my two kids so really we have three kids one just happens to have four legs and is covered in fur.  Lucy is a yellow lab and my husband brought her home as a surprise one day many years ago.   We've taken her to puppy school just like the kids went to pre-school.  She's come on road trips and vacations with us.   She has celebrated and been apart of so much of our lives.  Looking back we have taken approximately 5000 walks, fed her over 10 000 biscuits, she's had 2  leg surgeries and one lumpectomy.   She's also had a run in with a racoon in the garage and one unfortunate time where a skunk decided to come in the house while my husband Brent was renovating....

                                                                 

Our dear dear Lu-bear has lived a full happy life and has given so much back to us as a family.  Sadly it was her time to take a walk on rainbow bridge yesterday.  We've been discussing this for sometime as a family and the day finally came.  We had a party for her the night before and she was surrounded by friends and family.  Everyone got to say their good byes and get one last cuddle.  In the end she was blind with  cataracts and had had a multitude of health issues.  It was difficult for her to walk, so we knew it was time. 

On Sunday we tried to busy the day and spend as much time as we could with Lu until we had to take her to the vet.  We decided as a family we would all go with her but as the hours started getting closer the more real this became and emotions started to run high.  We all started to realize that this was happening and we had to let go so that Lucy can really be at peace.  Initially kids were going to the vet as well but it just was too difficult.  They stayed at home and my husband and I took her to the vet.  As my husband registered her at the vet I took Lu-bear for one final stroll on the grass.  At this point she was already very heavily sedated so she was a bit wobbly but totally aware of her environment.  She sniffed the grass had a final pee.  At that point the nurse and my husband came out and I asked if we could complete the euthanasia outside instead of the clinical vet which she always hated.  I didn't want her last moments to be in a place she feared.   They said they would have to ask the doctor.  Thankfully the doctor agreed.  So we spent Lucy's last moments in the grassy knoll being hugged by my husband and I.  We also had my yoga music playing on speakers as Lucy always would come in and sit on my yoga mat as soon as this music was played https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aifSjuyeE5M  
the doctor finally came out and explained the next steps and instructed me to feed her biscuits.  It happened so quickly one minute Lucy was eating biscuits from my hand and then she stopped.  I knew then she was really gone.  As we wept for what seemed like hours, it was really time to go.  As dragonflies buzzed above I knew that Lucy had crossed over rainbow bridge and was no longer in pain. 

Lucy has enriched our lives and shown us unconditional love.  We are a better family because of her contributions.  We will miss terribly and I will remember her always. 

RIP Lu-bear

April 2, 2015 Full Moon

It has been almost a full year since I've come back from Bali.  I had created the offerings and rituals blog with the goal to start this last year.  I had some challenges finding a local florist that would agree to donate their unused clippings.  I continued with the intention of wanting to create connection and gratitude especially in the community where I work.  I am happy to announce our local grocery mart  http://www.urbanfare.com/select-your-store?destination=home has agreed to help. 

With this new found local support, I invited my colleagues to join in the very first offerings ceremony.   April 2nd is a full moon and thought it would be a great day to start.   I had 6 people join. We created some time and space to talk about why we were creating offerings.  We mindfully picked our spots where we placed our offerings in the park.  The cement pathway in Coal Harbour was lit up with beautifully colored floral arrangements   Incense was lit and filled the Spring air. 

As other people walked by they commented on the beauty of the packets and asked what we were doing.  It was really a beautiful moment.  I felt very connected to life and felt my colleagues were grateful for the process.  An invitation and reminder to be mindful and grateful when you can.  The beauty is that you can connect to source and that energy anytime.  As human beings we just need to stop momentarily, check in with your body and breathe.  Create what you want in the moment.  Its worth it, its your life. 

I invite others that yearn for connection to join in our celebrations of life.  Next offering will be on May 1st. 
Consider joining me or start your own offering ritual and invite others!

 

Offerings and Celebrations

It is a rainy Saturday in Vancouver.  I've returned back from holidays from Bali now just a little under a month.  I have both strong and faint memories of this trip.  With each day that passes the smells and memories become more and more distant.  I promised myself when I came back home I would blog about my experience and what I learned in Bali.

I had been planning this trip to Bali for years.  I idealized what this trip would be like and how it would change my life.  It did change me in some ways but not how I expected.

What I found most memorable about this trip is the strong connection to faith that the Balinese have.  They are connected to their Gods and there are many.  They are connected to each other, as family, community and human beings.  They live by the laws of Karma and live in the moment and are very mindful.  They celebrate everything, from the first customer of the day to the full moon.  It made me really think about how disconnected we are as a society in North America.  I work downtown Vancouver, it is surrounded by concrete buildings and we shuttle in and out of work each day like fire ants retreating to our tunnels.  No one looks at each other or even gives eye contact.  The only time people seem to connect is when they want to confront and argue about something ridiculous like who should sit down or space issues.  It's quite sad really when all we all really want is to connect and be acknowledged.

I walk away from this trip, remembering the beautiful daily offerings that the lovely ladies would put out sometimes up to 3 times a day.  Arrangements of flowers, incense, rice and sometimes money.  It was not important what was in the offering but the intention that was put behind it.  Offerings were made for both low and high spirits because they understood in life and death you have both and must honor and respect both.
Just watching the practice of someone religiously putting these offerings out every day for what must be years of ancestry practice was very humbling.

I am inspired to share that joy of gratitude and practice with my fellow human beings in the downtown core.  Once a month, I invite you to join me to spread joy, connections and blessings throughout the city on our lunch break.  Take a moment and place beautiful offerings of floral petals and intentions like in the pictures and place throughout the city.   We will gather as a group, create the offerings with beautiful flower petals, pieces of grass, and most importantly with love and intention.   We will place throughout our neighborhoods to remind people to be grateful, present and alive.  I want people to have similar experiences and reminder that we are connected and to take time to reflect on life and gratitude. 

Will you join me? please email tina.wnielsen@gmail.com if you'd like to create some connection in the downtown core.

Namaste,
the light within me sees the light within you