Communicating with Sacred Animals by Leslie Cirinesi
A Christmas Like No Other
I have a big family, as I am the youngest of 7 children. I have 18 nieces and nephews, 24 great nieces and nephews and 3 great-great nieces and nephews. As you can imagine, Christmas is a big deal in our family. But just like some of you, Christmas is basically cancelled this year. There won’t be our normal huge Christmas Eve party with the entire family; there won’t be the traditional trip with my parents to each of my brothers and sister’s houses to see what each person received; and there won’t be the big dinner at my sister Sherie’s house. To add to the list of things that “aren’t the same this year”, we are under contract to sell our house in Michigan and it is set to close on December 23rd, which means that we will not be spending Christmas in the house that has been ours for the last 18 years. It’s all too much change all at once. The part that concerns me is that our beloved Pets, Luna and Barney, are feeling the changes too. They are wondering why we keep going back and forth between Michigan and Montana. They wonder why sometimes Luna
and I are in Montana alone for a month while her Dad and Barney are back in Michigan getting the house ready to sell. It’s been an upset to our schedule to be sure. But it’s not just my Dogs that are feeling the effects of the changes, I have had over 20 appointments lately where the Animals in the families are feeling the stress of their human families. Usually at this time of year I am pulling out my schedule for Dog, Cat, and Horse shows and Pet Expos, but this year is so different. If we are feeling the stresses, how can our Pet families not notice and feel it too? But this article is not all doom and gloom, actually far from it. Last night, I got a hot cup of apple cider and I took a long, hot bath and I thought and thought about all of the changes. I realized that although some of these changes are unwelcome, some of them I asked for. Although this won’t be the perfect Hallmark Christmas Movie this holiday season, there is MUCH to be thankful for in our household. When I talk to my Animal clients, we discuss this exact same topic.
Star Nations Magazine • December 2020 • 24
We talk of gratitude; we talk of how we can all lean on each other (human and Animal family members), how we need to keep together and help each other through. I know that when my husband and I were in different states for over a month because we both had commitments elsewhere, that having my Dog Luna with me, and him having his Dog Barney with him was very comforting. Then, when I had to drive a 12-foot trailer to Montana, all alone, using my father’s truck, my father insisted that I needed to take Luna with me to keep me company (even though the thought of his truck being covered with white Dog hair was terrifying). She really did keep me company! We chatted the whole way, we put on the comedy channel on the radio, and we both laughed. I was surprised at how much human humor she understood. But I shouldn’t have been so surprised because I come across so many Animals clients with a really great sense of humor and they literally make me laugh out loud. While this Christmas will be different because my family can’t gather together, have meals
Credit: Leslie Cirinesi
In my family, we are all about spending time with the family and traditions. So, of course, you can imagine that family traditions rank the highest. My mother is very insistent on the matter. This year is going to be tough for many reasons that you are all dealing with and some different ones of my own. As well as some that I am trying to help some of my Animals clients through as well.
