Wednesday, May 27, 2009

When One Door Closes - Another Opens

I'm often asked about the logistics of owning a "house pig". To us, it doesn't seem strange at all. Floyd is not only a grief facilitator at Tomorrow's Rainbow, but he's also a member of our family. Our little piggy (he'll always be a little piggy to us) is a great role model for teaching us lessons in resilience.

When Floyd was a piglet, he was capable of doing many things with his young, energetic body. He could wrestle with our dog, Philly, for hours. His little pig tush could fit quite easily in the litter box, and he could maneuver the steps to climb up on the couch and the bed effortlessly. But as Floyd grew, the things that he used to be able to do with ease, became difficult.

Floyd could have resisted the obvious. He could have dug his hooves into that litter box and insisted that he fit just fine, all the while his piggy cheeks hanging overboard. No, Floyd was too proud for that - if the litter box didn't fit, he wasn't wearing it! Floyd taught himself to open the screen door and relieve himself in the wild like his ancestors before him. There was only one problem - the screen door closed behind him and he couldn't get back in the house. That didn't stop Floyd from what he always knew: When one door closes - another door opens. And so Floyd continued to use that screen door until one day it happened; Floyd became the proud new owner of a door that led him back into the safety (and air conditioning) of his home.

When someone you love dies, it can be real easy to get those hooves stuck in the litter. But even if you're in denial, your butt is still gonna be hanging out. Take a lesson from Floyd about resilience and have faith in yourself. As you push through those new doors, even if they close behind you, believe with all your being that new ones will open.

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