Becoming

George has been affected by the visit of the vet. Despite being walloped for biting the vet tech, I think it was a powerful and positive experience for him. He has been very warm and kind since.

Yesterday, I was going around the yard with a wheelbarrow and a shovel, picking up manure for the compost pile. As I passed the swing, George made a suggestion - he came over, shooing Rose ahead of him, and - for all the world - seemed to say, "Let's all rest here for a while."

I sat down on the swing, with George and Rose close by.

Now, to digress for a moment, my legs have been bothering me for a while - nothing serious, just leg cramps at night, a sore foot, stiff knees, the feeling (as a former Alexander teacher) that I'm "doing" something with my legs, that I have some long-standing bad habit which after many years is finally bringing problems home to roost.

As I settled myself on the swing, George came up next to me. At the moment that his head passed by my feet at the end of the swing, I was suddenly was aware that I was pushing down with the ball of my feet, as if standing on tiptoe; I knew right away that this is something I do all the time, and in that moment I let go of the pressure and felt instant relief.

Face of a healer

After a short time, George backed up and gently pushed Rose to the fore. She came right up to me, in a most unprecedented way, and rested, with George quietly standing behind her.

A little later, the two wandered away to continue their nap by the picnic table.

There are more things in heaven and earth .....