What If Separation Anxiety is Actually a Good Thing?

Advent Meditations “Obedience”

A few weeks ago Tom was out of town for a few days. Because Axel had “attached” to both of us, I didn’t think it would be a huge deal. Because he does suffer from separation anxiety, on the days I’d be at the office for long periods of time I took him with me so that he wouldn’t ruin his nose pushing on his dog crate. He was starting to resemble Rudolph with a red nose, so we needed an alternative plan. Thus, we had LOTS of Axel/Andrea bonding time.

However, regardless of how much we bonded and how many treats he received, once Axel returned home he’d camp out at the front door. Waiting.

Hours would go by. I’d try to woo him into another room with me but he wouldn’t budge. I’m convinced he was waiting for Tom to arrive. Not even food would deter him from his watching spot.

Our furry friends offer to us love and attachment that is so real and so powerful. They are willing to wait for us to return so that they can share that love and affection with us over and over again. Every time we come home they greet us with this love that is as if we’d been separated from them for days.

What a beautiful image of our spiritual journey. We wander off, going on our pathways that do not necessarily lead us to be at one with love. Yet, that universal love is always present, within us, waiting for us to reconnect, to return.

The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus meaning arrival, “coming.”

But the good news is that God has already come to us, so we don’t have to take the Axel stance, prop ourselves up in front of the door, and wait.

Instead, we need to awaken. Wake up to what is already among us, already in our midst.

What if this week we focus on waking up, coming to a new consciousness, a new awareness of God? God will love us into becoming something new this Christmas.

Grace and Peace,

Andrea