Holey, Wholly, Holy

When I was little, our house was full of animals – dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs – there were so many! My dog slept under the covers with me. There was always a cat near my finger tips. The guinea pig and I had great conversations. I can’t say I cared that much about the fish. They just swam, ate, and died. But my brother loved them! We were surrounded with these wonderful creatures!

When I got older and married, my husband informed me that he was allergic to animals. His lungs and airways start to clog and he has difficulty breathing. Any time we go to my parent’s house to this day, we make sure there’s an inhaler packed in the car with us. But it hasn’t stopped my love of animals!

Ten years ago I was fired from a job I loved dearly. It wasn’t just a job to me, though. I poured myself into that position and being fired broke me. I had very little self-worth and struggled with doubts about myself constantly. I knew I was loved by my family, but the outside world seemed a very cruel place.

I have a friend who owns a pet sitting company and she hired me on. I remember one day sitting in a yard with a puppy too young to go for walks and that little furball kept leaping up to lick my face with such abandon and joy. I started to cry. This puppy loved me unconditionally. He didn’t care what I had or had not done as long as I sat with him and was present. His love was an opening in my spirit that had been broken.

Pets do this for us. They open up a space with their unconditional love so we can understand the incredible love that is offered to us. For me, this is God’s love. There is nothing that places us outside of that space of love and we are accepted no matter what. This may not be your belief. But I hope that through the love of a beloved pet family member you may also experience deep and complete love and know that you are of sacred worth.

On Sunday, October 29 (2023) at 1:30, we will be having a blessing of the animals after the Brambleton Market in Ashburn, VA. If you have a beloved pet you would like to have blessed, bring them along on a leash, in a crate, or in a picture and we will bless them. If you’re in the area, we hope to see you there!