Healing and Happiness

are 2 sides of the same coin. We can’t have one without the other. Often we aren’t aware healing needs to occur until we become overloaded and then happiness begins to waver. I am blessed with an amazing teacher in my life. My beloved dog is struggling with a health issue and is not himself at all. It’s funny though how quickly he is able to put his physical woes behind and embrace happiness when his leash comes out of the cupboard for a walk in the park or a car ride.

That’s Ailin in the photo. It was taken in the winter…his healthiest season.

He has both food allergies and environmental allergies which are worsening as he ages. My honey took him for a walk in the park on Saturday and the grass was wet; couple that with the high levels of pollen and we had “the perfect storm” as they say. Ailin began chewing his paws, legs and undercarriage. He didn’t stop until he was bleeding in multiple places.

I love my dog dearly! He came in to our lives when I was newly divorced and my son was battling treatment resistant depression. Ailin (Celtic for ‘handsome’) helped both of us open our hearts and heal. Now it’s my turn to return the favour.

I realize that what is bothering Ailin is systemic, and won’t be cured with antihistamines or steroids or any of the other quick fixes. After a lot of research and by putting the pieces together, I realize he has an overgrowth of Candida or yeast in his system. His system is overloaded and the allergens in the environment have sent him over the edge this year. He is already on a very clean diet, but I will have to reassess that. I have ordered enzymes and other natural herb based remedies which will kill the yeast, repair his intestines and bring his system back in to balance. This could take months, and the symptoms will likely get worse in the beginning as healing begins. I have purchased a comfortable neck cone he wears so he can’t reach his body to chew, and I have ordered dog booties so we can still exercise every day.

I share this because it is the perfect analogy for what happens to us when life stressors pile up and we become overloaded. A shopping trip, glass of wine, anxiety pill, or whining about our plight will not solve the underlying issue. We can always put a band aid on a gaping wound but that only masks…it doesn’t address the underlying reason we have the wound in the first place.

We are all feeling the wounds right now. It is “the perfect storm”. The energies of this time have laid bare those things we need to acknowledge in order to truly heal…at the deepest levels. It’s not easy to take the time and energy required to really find what the underlying cause of our pain is. Once we have that figured out, we then have to ride out the sometimes lengthy healing process.

Stay strong, be open to accepting help and see Healing and Happiness for what they ultimately are….2 sides of the same coin. You can’t really have one without the other. When we have healed one thing, something even deeper will emerge. That’s called the ‘human condition’ and we are all going through it right now. I can promise you though. When enough healing has taken place, happiness is never far away…regardless what is going on in our lives.

Take Care, Paula