“Until one has loved an animal – a part of one’s souls remains unawakened.” ~ Anatole France
Yesterday, we celebrated Gracie, our Maltipoo, turning 2 years old (people years!) Goodness, it’s hard to imagine, even for a moment, life without our puppy dog. Abounding in energy, kisses, soft cuddles and endless play — to say that Gracie is beloved is a marked understatement!
The sacred connection with Gracie is on a level, I never could have imagined! It all began 7 years ago, when Mike and I were experiencing being an empty nest couple. I felt the urge to go on Pinterest and start exploring different breeds of dogs. I came upon the Maltipoo – a small, fluffy, non-shedding, intelligent mixture of a miniature Poodle and a Maltese. It was love at first sight!
On a quest, I started checking out pet stores that might have Maltipoo puppies so that I could experience holding one; and had the chance to cuddle an adorable white one – but it made me realize that my heart was drawn to the golden colored ones — and I knew I wanted a girl. With even more curiosity, I found a reputable breeder in the Midwest and for the heck of it, wrote out to her (Rebecca) to see if she had such a puppy. She let me know that they were in really high demand and that she could place me on a waiting list.
During 2016, I did hear from Rebecca at one point that there was a litter of puppies, but none that matched what I was seeking. And then, late in 2017, she called me to share that she had a lovely little golden girl for us. I was crestfallen as we had just moved, and we were in temporary living. We knew that the timing to invite a new puppy in, just wasn’t right. So, I asked her to keep us on her waiting list for future litters.
A whirlwind of a couple of busy years passed and then COVID hit. During the months of 2020, staying home provided the cherished quiet time of just sitting out on my patio — getting back in touch with my heart and my most authentic self – and the vision of holding a lovely golden Maltipoo came back up for me. I found myself thinking about what it would be like to have such a sweet pup. I started to pray to blessed Mother Mary with this very deep desire in my heart. To my astonishment, within two days of starting to sincerely pray for this intention, I got a note from Rebecca to see if I was still wanting a golden girl Maltipoo as one had just been born on August 11th. Thrilled doesn’t capture adequately the emotions that filled my whole being! I called Rebecca and she asked what we’d like to call her – and I immediately answered Grace – her name is Gracie. She was Mother Mary and Holy Spirit’s answer of love beyond what I could have imagined. True grace.
“To me, animals have all the traits indicative of soul. For soul is not something we can see or measure … but if we open our hearts to other creatures and allow ourselves to sympathize with their joys and struggles, we will find they have the power to touch and transform us. There is an inwardness in other creatures that awakens what is innermost in ourselves.” ~ Gary Kowalski
Gracie has been with us since the mid-October 2020. She is an incredibly intuitive, kind, friendly and playful dog. Each morning when I pray and meditate, she comes up on the recliner with me and lays silently between my knees with her head resting on one of my legs. I know our heartbeats and energy during this time are completely in synch. Sometimes, when I’m on a Zoom meditation call with other Spirit-filled friends she’ll want me to prop and hold her up to my heart – and I know it’s to be in the beautiful heart-centered energy of our gathering. It’s like she’s a Divine mirror. Gracie has blessed me with her sacred presence and made me more aware of my own.
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