Discerning the wisdom of this day...

It is a funny thing how day's can have their own wisdom, yes? I thought I would be writing about Hebrew and Greek words having to do with compassion for my emerging "spirituality of tenderness," but it seems as if it was time to simply BE tender - especially with Lucie. She has seemed particularly needy today - and oddly nutty for the past two days. So, mostly this day has been given over to sitting with her - and scratching her - and playing with her and having her fall asleep on my chest (and Di's lap.)

As many of you know, Lucie is way to big to be a lap dog. She weighs in at about 65 pounds

and is a large, strong, sometimes graceful but also awkward three year old shepherd-hound melange. After nearly three months, she still hates mornings in the city because there are so many harsh sounds. Evenings and weekends can be better because there are fewer trucks crashing up and down L'avenue Mont-Royal, but sometimes she is just wacked. Today she was a bit fragile - we've had family and guests in town all of the past 10 days - so perhaps she simply needed to know she was treasured. 

Jean Vanier in his book, Becoming Human, writes that the fundamental problem with most of us (and I would include Lucie in this mix) is that we are often achingly lonely. His description of what a lonely child learns fits me at times, my dog most of the time and so many of those I love from time to time:

There is nothing to compare with the terrible loneliness of a child; fragile and helpless, a lonely child feels fear, anguish, a sense of guilt. And when children are wounded in their hearts, they learn to protect themselves by hiding behind barriers. Lonely children feel no commonality with adults... and lonely children cannot name their pain.

Just as this sabbatical started with our total surprise at discovering that part of what we would learn and experience had to do with caring for our neurotic dog, so too this day: it is truly a journey into tenderness. So now that we've finished our house cleaning, we'll go to the market and find fresh goodies for a light dinner before taking our little furry Zen master off to the park.