Losing an animal friend

Today I’m going to write about something that might not be so cheerful, but is certainly a part of life; death.

To be more specific; the death of my best furry friend, my dog. Some people will say it was just a dog, that grieving over a dog is not comparable to grieving human death. But he was part of the family, for over 8 years, and his death was too early and too sudden.

The most difficult part of losing a living being, who was such a big part of my life, is that he will never come back. I can adopt a thousand dogs, and no one will ever be like him. There isn’t a single dog in the world who has the same beautiful eyes, the incredible capacity to be the best of friends. No one will ever make the same happy barking sounds again when I come home, nor sit by my side in difficult times.

He was the best of friends, a loyal companion, a living being who gave so much joy, laughter, love and peace.

Never shall I say that an animal is not capable of loving, of caring, of being an emotional and intelligent being. Having lived so many years by his side has taught me how amazing it can be to love another living being unconditionally.

Never again. Never again will he sit on my feet while I study, never again will I be able to embrace him while sitting in the sun. Never again can I laugh about his pranks and intelligence. All the never again’s, all the small things, all the thousands of memories…Like a mantra it keeps going on in my head.

It leaves me behind in sadness, with an emptiness so big you can’t believe it’s possible for 17 kilos of fur and intelligent eyes and limitless energy to leave such a void.

Never again is a long time. It’s too long. It’s too difficult to imagine. But that’s how things are, that’s the way life is. That’s the risk of loving another living being with all your heart.

But you know what? I would do it all over again. I would love another dog just as much, care for it just like I cared for him, because there are many, many dogs out there that deserve to live happily and in safety. Even though it means that eventually I will lose them.

All I can say to lighten up is that we gave him the best possible life. Full of freedom, love, care. And he lived healthy until his last hour.

I want to add some quotes, to celebrate the endless love, joy and peace other living beings can bring into our lives.

"Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, Filling an emptiness we don't even know we have."

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."

“Grief is so painfully real, regardless of its origin. The love of, and attachment to, an animal friend can equal that of human relationships. Likewise, the loss of an animal can be just as devastating.”

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.”

The greatest lesson I have learnt from this? Live as if someone left the gate open!! :)

What I learnt from climbing a mountain/ Lo que aprendí de escalar una montaña

Until the moment when I saw this quote I had no idea how to put my recent experiences into words. But now the words flow freely once more.

How true it is. You never conquer a mountain. A mountain is unconquerable. It is a magical place with its own personality and it is subject to no one but Time. It is a place you travel to, passing through hardships and obstacles, and once you’ve survived all that you will be rewarded.

The reward may be beautiful sights, it may be new experiences. It may even be the acquisition of knowledge and insights about life itself.  

It is no wonder that in many religions the mountain is symbol of divinity. Didn’t the Greek gods live on the mountain Olympia? Didn’t Moses receive the Ten Commands on a mountain? There are infinite examples of how mountains are intimately bound to many religions, being either the place where divine events occur or where the divine beings live.

Even I perceive this magical feeling high up in the mountains. It’s hard to be an atheist in such a wild, merciless and beautiful realm. The cold, the deep blue lakes, the brave few plants who survive there, the hard rock, the clouds soaring by, the biting wind. It all surrounds you. And because of this grandness and omnipresent being of the mountain, you will feel that there is more between heaven and earth. You will feel that this mountain has personality, and that despite permitting you to be there now, it could just as easy turn your back to you and make you perish.

The knowledge I have gained on the day I climbed up to a mountain to 2600 meters was something I already knew since some time, but had never really felt the importance of it:

Climbing a mountain is the perfect metaphor for living a life. What the end goal is isn’t important. What matters is nothing more and nothing less than the journey itself, and what decisions you make during that grand adventure.

Every single step in your life you must take with mindfulness. Don’t go rushing to your final goal, because then you will miss the whole point of life’s journey and the probability that you fall and fail will increase greatly.

Love each step, care for it and observe it. Some steps might be hard, some might be easy, and there might come a moment when you consider it impossible to continue. But you have to believe in yourself, and continue, because knowledge and life experiences will be the reward. Understand that with every step you will learn something if you are open-minded enough. Understand that without all the previous steps you would not be at this point right now.

So, what am I trying to say to you, dear reader, is this; visit the mountains. High or low, many mountains can give you unforgettable experiences. Not only for their beauty and serenity, but also for their lessons.

The high mountains will teach you to be humble, but it will also make you feel more alive and connected to this beautiful Earth than ever before.  

Namaste

“No realmente conquistas a una montaña.  Conquistas a tu mismo. Superaras enfermedades y todo lo demás – tu dolor, tu sufrimiento, tus miedos – para llegar a la cima”

Hasta el momento que vi esta frase no tenía ni idea de cómo convertir mis experiencias recientes a palabras. Pero ahora las palabras han vuelto a fluir libremente.

Qué cierto es!  Nunca se puede conquistar una montaña. Una montaña es inconquistable. Es un lugar mágico, con su propia personalidad y está sujeto a nadie más que al Tiempo. Es un lugar a la cual viajas, donde pasas por dificultades y obstáculos, y una vez que lo hayas sobrevivido todo, serás recompensado.

La recompensa puede ser paisajes increíblemente preciosos, puede ser nuevas experiencias. Incluso puede ser la adquisición de conocimientos y revelaciones sobre la vida misma.

No es de extrañar que en muchas religiones la montaña sea el símbolo de la divinidad. ¿No es así que los dioses griegos vivían en la montaña Olympia? ¿No recibió Moisés los Diez Mandamientos en una montaña? Hay infinidad de ejemplos de cómo las montañas se encuentran íntimamente ligados a muchas religiones, siendo o el lugar donde se producen los acontecimientos divinos o donde viven los seres divinos.

Incluso yo percibo esa sensación mágica en lo alto de las montañas. Es difícil ser una persona ateo en un mundo tan salvaje, implacable y hermoso. El frío, los lagos de azul oscuro, las pocas plantas valientes que sobreviven allí, la piedra dura, las nubes, el viento fuerte y helado. Todo esto te rodea. Y debido a la grandeza y el ser omnipresente de la montaña, te sentirás que hay algo más entre el cielo y la tierra. Te sentirás que esta montaña tiene personalidad, y que a pesar de que te permite estar allí en ese momento, podría fácilmente convertirse en contra de ti  y hacerte perecer.

Los conocimientos que personalmente he adquirido en el día cuando subí a una montaña de 2.600 metros era algo que ya sabía desde hace tiempo, pero nunca había sentido la importancia de ello:

Escalar una montaña es la metáfora perfecta sobre el vivir una vida. Lo que es el objetivo final no tiene importancia. Lo que importa no es nada más y nada menos que el viaje en sí, y las decisiones que tomes durante esa gran aventura.

Cada paso en tu vida debes realizarlo con atención plena. No vayas con prisas hacia tu meta final, porque entonces te pierdes todo el sentido del viaje, y la probabilidad de que te caes y fallas aumentará en gran medida.

Ama cada paso, cuídalo y observarlo. Algunos pasos pueden ser difíciles, algunos podrían ser fáciles, y puede llegar un momento en el que crees que es imposible continuar. Pero tienes que creer en ti mismo, y continuar, porque los conocimientos y experiencias de vida serán la recompensa. Entiende que con cada paso se aprende algo si tienes la mente abierta. Entiende que sin todos los pasos anteriores no estarías en este mismo punto en este momento.

Por lo tanto, lo que estoy tratando de decir, querido lector, es lo siguiente: visitad las montañas. Altos o bajos, muchas montañas te pueden dar experiencias inolvidables. No sólo por su belleza y serenidad, sino también por sus lecciones.

Las altas montañas te enseñarán a ser humilde, pero también te hará sentir más vivo y conectado a nuestra hermosa Tierra que nunca antes.

Namaste