The Jack McAfghan Series

The Jack McAfghan Series
More to Come!
Showing posts with label pet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pet. Show all posts

Monday

Please Don't Be Afraid to Love Again

Me, Jack, when I was little with my big sister Grady. Kate knew Grady was winding down and if you read our books, you'll know that I was the "BackUp Plan". But oh. Oh so much more! 


It takes strength and healing to open your heart to love again. Some people run right out and fill that space we left behind. Many more people say "NEVER AGAIN" because they remember only the pain of the final moments, not the lifetime we shared in love. 


Take all the time you need, but life is too short - and too long - to be alone. Yes and some people are "alone" even when they have a partner and even in the biggest family! There is nothing like the love of a pet. Few humans are capable of such love. Please keep your heart and mind open. It will be a unique and different kind of love, but it will be wonderful too. Message today from Kate: Don't be afraid...Follow your heart. It's always been your best guide. 

Love, Jack 🐾


This photo is of our Immy who was in need of good home and Kate drove all the way from Arizona to Montana to get her. In the sixth month of her grief, it was an emotional and complex time. And Immy was/is a complex girl! Oh but Kate and Joey would never trade her for the world. And besides that - they still have me. 😘Only Gone from Their Sight. 🐾


Immy McAfghan

If you need support, do read our books, join my Facebook Page 
and visit our support group

Saturday

Spring Prayers for Those Who Grieve




Everything is going to be alright. Love never dies and the end of this life is not the end of life at all.  Something that appears to be the ending is always just the beginning of something else.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Have you read any of my other books?  Did you enjoy them? If so, please consider rating them on Amazon to let others know they are worth the read. Reviews mean everything to me. I am not allowed to give anything in exchange for a great review, but if I could I would give you the world. Prayers going out to all who struggle. It sounds cliche but this too shall pass. After all, nothing lasts forever but Love. 


Sunday

"You Were The Teacher I Needed..."


"Reflections...Book 1. This is by far one of the Greatest Books I have ever Read, Touched my Heart and Soul, a True Masterpiece. The Whole Series, the books are truly inspiring....You were the Teacher I needed to find to open up the door that had been closed for so long..."  
~George K.


Click HERE to see more of our wonderful reviews and to order this and the other books in the Jack McAfghan Trilogy! 

Saturday

How Do I Know When and If to Get Another Pet?

How do you know when a new pet is right for you? Have you found one and are now agonizing over the decision? Agonizing over it probably means the time isn't right.

Remember that everything feels right when a new pet is right for you. You will be put in the right place at the right time. The process is smooth and easy. Sometimes the pet will come to you without your having to do anything.  You usually feel it in your heart when its right. The price is always right because you want that pet and you will pay the price. 

Read Chapter 4 in my book. Kate went through the same dilemma. There is nothing worse than regretting this kind of decision. Of course you will have the normal What If's and perhaps some fear of commitment but there will be an underlying confidence that this is the pet for you. 

Try not to be too stressed about it. There are many many pets available out there and there will always be another opportunity. The timing will always be right. Let your heart and soul lead you to the one that's meant for you. Let your heart lead the way...not your head... or what someone else thinks πŸ’–πŸ’–πŸ’–

Thank you for wanting to love again. We love you the way we do so that you will miss the love when we are gone (from your sight) and so that you will seek it again. After all, love is what makes everything else worthwhile. 

Jack McAfghan: Reflections on Life with my Master can be found on Amazon Worldwide.




Sunday

They Sometimes Go Someplace Private to Pass...

Hi, This is Kate. I was recently visiting a group on Facebook where one member criticized another member for allowing her sick dog to be unattended and now unable to be located.  It inspired a memory. 



When I was 6 months old, our purebred GSD came into our family as a puppy. I was the one who cared for her most of the time. She was my first best friend. When I was 16 (and she was 16) one night we couldn't find her. I was especially worried because she was frightened of thunder and lightning storms and a storm was heading our way. I went outside, looking everywhere for her and eventually found her under a dark space under the side porch. She had tragically lost the use of her hind legs. 

I went in the house to get a card table and a blanket. I was going to sit under the table "tent" with her while the storm came so that I could comfort her. When I came out with the blanket she was gone. I couldn't believe it. How could she have gone somewhere when she had no use of her legs?! In the rain I went looking for her. I found her at the front of the house under the spirea bushes. 


She was having difficulty breathing. I stayed with her. it was my first experience with death. She may be part of the reason I went into hospice work.


I also have two friends here in Arizona who do not know each other. They both had beloved cats who were pushing 20 years of age. They both told their cats that they did not want to have to make "the decision". Both of those cats seemingly just walked away from home one day and never came back. 



I welcome any discussion about any of this ...or feel free to share your own stories.

Tuesday

THE LIZARD from RAINBOW BRIDGE: Our Latest Book


If you've read my book, you know about my friend Lizard. Our illustrated story will help you to learn how animal spirits and angels come into our lives. They are all around you, all the time! Who'd believe a lizard could be an angel too?

Click Here to See Lizard on Amazon.com
Available Worldwide
Animal spirit guides and angels serve each and every one of us every day. Join Jack McAfghan as he shares the magical story of his friend Lizard, an unexpected angel who travels from Heaven to escort others over Rainbow Bridge and to comfort those left behind. In the style we have come to know and love, the canine Jack shares his wisdom and the power of unconditional love for all. His ultimate goal: to teach us to live Heaven on Earth. This true story is written for children of all ages. It hopes to bring to light the knowledge and faith that magic exists everywhere in the world and that the end of this life is not the end of life at all.

TRUE STORY. 

Letting Go: Try To See It From Another Point of View


When Kate and I worked for Hospice, we went to visit a family who had an elderly father at home. They had an old dog that was sick too. Her name was Blanca. I looked into Blanca’s eyes and I saw so much sadness there. It was more than sadness; I can't come up with an English word for it.

While Kate talked to the man and his family, I talked with Blanca. She told me that she was ready to cross over but that her master had begged her not to leave. Her master was asking her to stay, so she was staying. A dog is obedient above all else.


I learned that Blanca felt totally helpless. She was tired of living. She wanted to be free of her cumbersome body. She felt trapped. She loved her family but she suffered from a deep and painful longing to return Home. Her heavenly Master was calling for her but her earthly master was clinging to her. It was painful for her to be pulled in two different directions. She knew that I would understand. I felt very bad for her. I hoped that I would never have to live that way.


Jack McAfghan, Chapter 49




Thursday

Amazon Ranked #17 : Still She Grieves


A note from Kate:

Jack made it to #17 in Pet Loss on Kindle today!  Oh Jackie! It makes me so happy! 

It's not about selling a book for $2.99. It's about giving the priceless gift of healing the those who read your story. Everyone who knew you, loved you Jack. They are still meeting you and loving you through the pages of our book. Thank you Jack. Thank you for bringing all the pets who have been loved and lost back for healing for our readers.

But wait. If I'm so happy about it, why am I crying as I post this? 
Me the expert?!  Still crying?  It will be two years in August since you crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I know I am healing because I no longer count the hours, the days, the months since you left....they are getting away from me. Where has the time gone? Why do I still cry?


The process of grief can take a long time when love runs deep.  I see this face, these eyes, this love, the offering of everything he is and was. He wanted to give me everything.  He still does. Just like our Master in Heaven does, He gives all of us everything He is. This is why pets are our greatest gift. They live for their master on earth. We are their Beloved. They are each and every one a little piece of Heaven sent to us to bless us, love us and be loved by us. It's all by Design so we know without a doubt that we are Loved. It's all about the love and the love that is waiting for us at Rainbow Bridge when the time is ripe for us to return Home.  

I am so grateful to the many readers who have become our friends. For the old and new friends who are following Jack's Page. I am thankful for the members of Jack's Pet Loss Group. So many of you have thanked me for all that I do but I thank you for all you do for me. For all you have come to mean to me. I have received so many blessings from the loss of the greatest gift I have been given so far in this lifetime. We are all healing each other, one day at a time.

It's all about the Love. 

Kate 


"These three things remain: Faith, Hope and Love...
but the greatest of these is love."  
1 Corinthians 13:13  

Sunday

PTS PD Euthanization ... and GUILT

I too feel so much guilt after I euthanize a pet because, in essence, I am giving the order to kill them. I know, I know it's in their best interest but it's still so hard.

This is for anyone who believes that they took a life away. You loved enough to let the one you love go.  You freed them from being bound to a life that no longer served them. Read Jack's wisdom. You need only shift your perspective to know the truth of the matter. <3 <3 <3

When you know that you did the right thing, there is a certain amount of guilt. Your absolutely right though. I couldn't bear to see him suffer.


Yes, there is always guilt for everyone in our life who leaves here. The key is to let it go, not dwell on it.  When they look back at us, they do not see the things we feel we could have done better. They look back on us only with love, knowing we did our very best and knowing that we loved them.



Some people say they put their pets 'down' when they are really Lifting Them Up. 'Putting To Sleep' is a much better term even though it's still kind of backwards. Whatever words you use to describe it, you are helping us. Don't ever question your decision again. It's the most loving thing you can do, to help us on our way Home.


Thursday

When We Truly Love, We Love Everything --- And Want To Take Care Of Everything

You know how it goes in the human mind. You see something that upsets you. You start imagining everything. You can't seem to turn it off. 

She saw a man in the city yesterday near the main intersection. He was walking about ten steps ahead of his very old-looking pit bull. The dog could hardly lift it's feet off the hot pavement, perhaps was dehydrated. A worn leather leash dragged by its side while the sauntering man chewed and spit his tobacco onto the curb ahead. 


While sitting at the stoplight Kate watched the man. The dog. Kate started crying. She passed through that intersection three different times during the course of the day. Every time she did, she cried for that ragged old dog. She worried that he was not being treated with care. That he was not loved. And yet he was so loyal to keep following his master. Her mind took over and created the worst possible scenarios! Had he had any water? Were his paws burning up? Couldn't his owner even hold his leash? What happens in the privacy of their home? She cried well into the evening. You know how it goes with the human mind that wants to care for and protect every living creature that exists.  She did not know how to stop thinking about that poor dog.


Then....Then she picked up our book, the one we wrote together. She opened it to Chapter 92. She read it... and then Chapter 93. She went back to Chapter 37 and read about Rox, the Rottweiler. 

She isn't crying anymore.

She could have taken a photo of the dog. The man. But she had too much respect for the dog to do that.
This photo that looks quite similar -- but the dog is much younger and healthier.... This is what the old tired dog will look like by the time he returns to Rainbow Bridge.  

Don't Try Too Hard to Find Me: I Am Here


Sunday

Oh Ye of Little Faith.... Yes, Even You Kate

I haven't sent her a sign in awhile. 
Last night she put her hands on her heart and asked me to come to her. She thought that it would be in the form of a dream, but she woke up and there had been no dream. I had something else in mind. 



She took Immy and Joey out to the trail as she does each morning and as they approached she saw a small tuft of blonde hair in the middle of the trail. "Hmm." She figured it must be Immy's or Joey's from the walk the night before, but I had left her a love letter on the trail. It was my hair in the shape of a heart. 

Even she didn't believe it at first, but she took a picture of it anyway. On the way back she found that it had been trampled into an "S" shape. She picked it up and held it next to Immy's fur and it was much blonder. She held it next to Joey's fur and it was much coarser. It had little glints of shine in it, like my hair had. 



It may sound crazy, but WHEN YOU HAVE NO LOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR SOMETHING, THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW IT IS TRUE. Magic can happen when you live on the other side of Rainbow Bridge. We do whatever it takes to prove to you that we are still with you. 

She took it home and planted it in the soil of her ficus tree.

That's not the end of the story. When she put my hair in the planter that held the tree, she stopped and looked at the tree. She realized she had not really paid attention to the tree even though she had watered and fed it regularly. Many years ago when someone gave it to her, she tied its many trunks together with landscaping ribbon so that it would stand tall and straight.  She looked at that ribbon today; the ribbon that had been holding the tree together and realized that it was binding it tight. Almost suffocating it. She got her shears and cut the ribbon and the tree stayed bound and tight. We do that for awhile when we do something long enough. We stay bound even when we are set free. It stood there like a petrified soldier.  

She gently pulled the branches apart bit by bit. The breeze was blowing in from the nearby doorway and it blew the leaves that had been compressed inside the tree, inside the branches that he been held so tight. The dead leaves that had been trapped fell all around the floor. The tree was open and breathing for the first time in years.  She looked at the tree with amazement. She was so happy to see it so open and free. 

She will be feeling better soon too because we are ALL connected. All beings. Me with her and her with me and me and her with that tree. She will be feeling better soon too!  Open and free.  There are so many reasons we come to you. You cannot even begin to imagine how we do what we do and why. 

Look around you and your environment and see what it says about you.  

You see I knew she'd share this story with you and that maybe you will feel better soon too. 



We Teach you to Love. We Prepare You for Another Pet. If You Want One.



It's a roller coaster ride. You fight with yourselves. "Should I get another pet? ...When should I get one? ... What kind should it be? ...Should I buy one or rescue one? ... Is it too soon? ...Maybe I can find my old pet,reincarnated! ...Maybe I shouldn't get another pet at all, I am so tired and weary and sad with grief..." 

Then you do it. You pick out another pet to fill the space I left behind ... and some of you experience a form of Buyer's Remorse. Once you've invested in the new pet you start to question everything. It can be very complicated because you can get mad at yourself for doing it too soon and then you hold your new pet accountable. You blame them when it isn't their fault at all. You make the mistake of comparing them with me when you must know that the new one will never take my place -- in your lives or in your hearts. It isn't supposed to. It is here to teach you different lessons than the ones I taught you. It's here to teach you a different kind of love.  


Don't you see? It's supposed to be this way. Relationships are assignments and when they end you are forced to graduate and move on to learn new lessons. But's it's hard. Kate used to cry when she looked at Immy (they got her 9 months after I passed) as if to say: 'Why can't you be more like Jack?'  Immy isn't Jack. She'll never be Jack. No one should expect Immy to be something she isn't. I taught you unconditional love and acceptance for a reason. 

It's all part of the learning -- to love again anew. Without judgment. Without comparison. It will be much easier when you have further healed from your grief. In the meantime, keep pushing through to the love and one day you'll find you love again -- but never ever the same way you did before. You may find that you are capable of loving even more than you ever dreamed. I say this because it was my task to come to earth to teach you love so that you could stretch and grow and become more than you ever were before.  


If you don't have a new pet yet, don't fret about it. If you are meant to have another, it will come into your life. You won't have to jump through hoops to find it. You will be inspired and the right one will come in one way or another. 

If you do have a new pet, take good care of the one who has come into your life. The one who trusts you for care and love. Be aware that quite possibly your old pet is their Guardian Angel and you don't want to make it difficult for them to watch your pain or your lack of acceptance. We often come into your life to help the new one, because we are looking for any excuse to be as near to you as possible. So when you are caring for them, you are partnering with us. We can do this together. Tears are okay as long as you are moving forward.  We love and support you in your decision. Hang in there.


One Year Ago She Set Me Free

It's been just a year since she was able to release me to be free; six months after I crossed Rainbow Bridge. The moment she freed me, she found immediate relief. So did I. 

She still misses me and sheds plenty of tears. Humans are so full of tears. There must be a storehouse in there! Some day I am going to write about the nature of tears. They are fascinating to me. Not all tears are alike and I have witnessed her tears of grief change over time. They used to fall, small and sharp and hard and fast, and now they are big, heavy and slow. Sometimes when they fall, she is smiling too.  I am waiting for the day she can smile without tears. That will be true freedom for both of us.  



She's having an especially tough day today. Who knows the reason why one day is harder than another. It is what it is. It's been 12 months since she released me from the prison of her clinging grasp. I caught her in a quiet moment on the trail that day and she was able to hear my voice. I spoke to her through the depths of her heart. 



The following day she scattered the ashes, singing: "Fly Free Little Boy. Fly Free!"  Oh it was music to my ears!  Now I can be around her and not be unhappy. I can be proud of her and I can love her without her fears and tears blinding her to my presence. Now we can continue to learn together and grow together in a whole new way. 

When we cross Rainbow Bridge we simply move into another layer of life. We are no further from you than we ever were. We are right there beside you and if you can heal your grief and let your tears subside, you will --- now and then -- be able to see me, hear me, feel me, and receive me into the new life that we are creating together; the life we will live until you join me here. It will be one quick journey through the Rainbow Bridge to the other side of the veil, where all will be revealed.  

In the meantime, keep learning your lessons. You cannot join me until you have graduated from this school of earthly life that has a special program designed just for you.  I was part of it.  I was one of your teachers. There is more to come. You must finish it to qualify for a passage through Rainbow Bridge.  I am so proud of you and can't wait to see you again in a day that will pass in the blink of an eye.  You'll see. I'll be the first one there to meet you at the edge of the bridge.  I never stop loving you. 


Saturday

Never Hesitate to Make A New Friend

When Dale Carnegie was a child, he had a dog name Tippy.  Later, when he was all grown up, Carnegie reported that Tippy made more friends by being interested in others than people who go to great lengths to get other people interested in them. It is something our two-legged friends learn from us, if they are paying attention.

I was a Friend to All. We met a few new friends when we stopped to rest during a day in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My Tail. Always wagging. Why not? That's what a tail is designed to do. I have always been ready to make a new friend. Why not? You never know what someone will come to mean to you.


Making New Friends...
Posted by Jack McAfghan on Monday, November 11, 2013

Love At First Sight - "Jack McAfghan" Chapter 4

In honor of Valentine's Day, here's an excerpt from "Jack McAfghan: Reflections on Life with my Master" by Kate McGahan    
  
   
  She thought she knew what she wanted. She specifically came to see my little sister, but by the time she arrived my sister had been sold.
     “Oh…” she said as her face fell, obviously disappointed.
     My brothers hovered around her, climbing all over her and into her lap. One of them was so excited he scratched her face. I just watched them all, thinking how nice it would be to be with someone like her. I hung out in the background hoping she would notice me. The others were all quite unruly, competing for her attention. I think this is where I first learned that climbing all over someone doesn't necessarily make them want to be with you.
     It looked like she was going to take my little brother home. I was preparing myself for that. She was sitting on the ground and he was sitting in her lap, sleeping like a baby. Then she looked over at me for the first time and our eyes met. I could almost feel her heart touch mine. They say you fall in love in less than a second. I can verify that this is totally and utterly true.
     I was intoxicated by the feelings that I had for her, but something in my heart told me to remain calm. I retreated to my dingy little cardboard bed, turned around a few times and lay down. I rested my head on my front paws as a humble gesture and continued to steadily gaze at her. Waiting. Watching. Hoping. I tried to crawl into her mind with my thoughts so that she would want to take me home instead of my brother. I imagined the fun the two of us would have. I pictured us playing together, walking together and discovering life together. I found myself promising God that I would be a very good dog if only He would let her notice me and make her want to take me home. As she looked across the yard at me, I gently wagged my tail.
     She asked them about me.
     "Oh,” they said, “I don't think you want that one. He plays rough with the others. He almost killed one of the younger ones.”
I felt bad when they said that but she didn't seem bothered by it. She didn't seem bothered at all.
     “I kind of like him anyway, but…” she continued, “They say sometimes a dog picks you rather than you picking the dog." She gestured toward my brother in her lap and said, "Maybe this one is picking me. Maybe I'm supposed to take him?"
     Oh no, I said to her, you aren’t supposed to take him. You’re supposed to take me.
     All the while she was looking over at me instead of at the one in her lap. It made me feel special, the way she looked at me.
     The puppy mill lady went over to her, took my brother from out of her lap, and they continued talking. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but she kept looking over at me.
     "Well, guess what?" the puppy mill lady finally said, "It’s official. All this guy wants is a warm lap. I don't think he is choosing you at all."
     My heart did flip-flops! I lifted my head and looked at her in anticipation. Sure enough, she came right over to me and sat down at the edge of my cardboard bed.
     “May I sit with you?” she asked.
    Oh yes! I said, wagging my tail in welcome.
     "I think this is the one," she said.
     Oh I was so happy! I couldn't wait to go home with her! I didn't really like this place that was my first home.
    Then she took me completely by surprise. She went and left me there! She talked a little more to the puppy mill lady and the next thing I knew, she was leaving! She kept looking at me with a sweet look of longing even as she walked back through the gate and closed the latch. I put my head down again, accepting the fact that I might not have a forever home.

Sample more here or order on Amazon.com and other Amazon locations worldwide.  

Sunday

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: "Things Come in Threes" by Laurie Eberle O'Brien

WRIGLEY

It is often said that sometimes things come in three's. I have witnessed that to happen, but did not pay that close of attention to it until I realized it has happened to me. As I reflect back to 15 years ago, it is hard to believe that it has been that long since we welcomed our first dog into our home. I grew up with them off and on, but did not have much of an interest in having one of my own. Fast forward to 2001 when our son was 12 and we had already been married for 20 years. 

I will always remember when we told him that we were "just going to look." Ha! Not only did we bring home an 8 week old, five pound bundle of fur, we brought home something that we had no idea could bring us so much joy and love for almost 15 years. 

Wrigley, you defined love. Pure and simple. There will NEVER be another you. You taught our family more than I can ever express to anyone. Your sweet disposition was infectious. The fun we had with you, the laughs you gave us, and the joy you brought to our lives cannot be measured in words. 

WRIGLEY
Your last couple of years were a challenge, as you battled seizures,Cushing's disease, and a myriad of other issues. But you refused to give up. You fought some very big battles being the warrior that you were. But in May, I knew you were getting tired and that's when we had to face the hardest decision of our lives. We did not want to let you cross. Your eyes were what told us. You were ready and as you passed in my arms, it was the hardest day of my life. My heart will never be the same. 

The house was too quiet. I did not want to go through that pain again, but God knew better. He knew our hearts. We decided to rescue this time. Dexter was your twin, Wrigley. But the difference was he was 9 and had a hard hard life. We were going turn that around for how ever many years he had left. We fell hard. I was thinking he would feel right at home....right away. How was I to know it would not be so quick? For 30 hours he did not move off of the couch, did not eat or drink and cowered as we approached him, even as lovingly as we did.
DEXTER
I finally got him to go for a walk at midnight. It had stormed that night and he clearly was apprehensive of our walk, sitting down every few steps as if he was asking permission. We were so ready to love him and teach him that our love for him would be as unconditional as his would be for us. I came back into the garage and as I praised him and unleashed him, he bolted. He grew wings as he ran, and I did not have those same wings to catch him. We searched but it was an unusually black night and it was as though he disappeared. He was found the next morning less than a quarter of a mile from home. He had been killed by a car. If only he would have trusted us. But why should he have? No one ever had given him reason to trust so he took the opportunity to run, and run he did. The wound was ripped right open again. The guilt has not left me. 

It was right after that I saw Jack's book offer on FB. I read it in almost one sitting and literally soaked paper towels as I read. What an incredible couple of hours that was. It touched me more than any dog book I have ever read and I read ALOT. Wow wow wow is almost all I could say in my review on Amazon. What an incredible way to tell a story full of so much love and wisdom, that it's almost palatable. What a find!!!! Coincidence? Fate? Luck?

Well, shortly after that I got a message that a friend of mine's sister runs a pet store and had a customer looking for a home for her daughter's dog. She could not care for her any more. She wasn't good with children (as they teased her) and she needed an adult home. Would I be interested? I did not give myself time to think about it and I know that Wrigley and Dexter had a hand in this. 

We welcomed her into our home in mid September and have never looked back. A white fluff ball whom we affectionally renamed "Kate." Our first and only "daughter" and little sister to our boys. I have to think that we have to crawl before we walk, that God promises a safe landing, but not always a calm passage. We are loving her more and more every day. Is it with the intensity that we did for Wrigley? No, and it may never be. Those are big "paws" to fill, but we don't expect her to fill them. They are too big for her and she doesn't have to for us anyway. 

KATE
So as we begin to heal, we want to believe that Kate was brought into our lives to help us do just that. She sure has her own little personality and sweetness about her. One thing we do know is that Wrigley taught us more about life than most people can even begin to teach us. He knows we have plenty of room in our hearts and so many more of his brothers and sisters need loving homes for the rest of their days.....no matter how limited those may be.

We hope and pray that this "third," as it has come in threes, is with us for many years to come. We do this in honor of our boys, never in place of them.


Thank you to both Kate's (yes, she was named after our one and only!) for showing us that we can open our hearts and love again. There is no reason not to.

Story submitted by Laurie Eberle O'Brien

Author Kate McGahan (L) and guest contributor Laurie O'Brien (R) in September 2015
Poco Diablo Resort, Sedona Arizona 




Tuesday

Fear is an Illusion that Cannot Exist When you Live in the Moment


via GIPHY
Excerpt from "Jack McAfghan: Reflections on Life with my Master" Chapter 31. 

She had a hard time accepting that we were very different from each other emotionally. While a dog has feelings to an extent, most of us don’t really worry about things like people do. We don’t fear anything emotional. We don’t fear the future. We live in the moment where there is no fear. We have nothing in the future to prepare for. We only experience fear when something physically threatens us or startles us. Once in a great while we can experience a form of fear when we pick up on the emotions of our loved ones and on some level we react to the fear that they feel.


It might seem like we have deep feelings because we look guilty or ashamed when we are caught getting into trouble. We don’t really feel guilty because deep down inside we know we are innocent. We live from love and we do the best that we can. When we seem guilty, we have just learned to give you the reaction we know you want from us. You want us to feel guilty? Okay, we can show you how guilty we are. As soon as we do, you stop yelling at us because you then believe that we understand our error (we usually don’t). You might then feel sorry for us because you “made” us feel guilty and then you cover us with your beautiful forgiveness. The game is totally worth it for us to get your love and your forgiveness.


Love, 
Jack