Lessons on Forgiving from Nature and Dogs – Our Wise Teachers

By Elizabeth Anne Johnson CBW, CMFT, EEBW.

This morning my girlie dog Pretzel and I were on a trail run through the large forest tract that surrounds our home. This area recently went through some extensive “selective” logging. Months and months of shredding the landscape as we knew it. Huge machinery creating 20’ wide trails that branched out through the forest to cut deeper into the heart and belly of this quiet woodland. It was hard on the heart to witness. The subversively large equipment, nearly silent except for the crunching of trees, was replacing the old-fashioned whine of chainsaws. The devastation was massive and brought tears to my eyes on many walks thinking of the impacts for wildlife, the tree families, the soil, and all the beings who love the solitude and creation that this land holds.

I sat down on a bench with Pretzel for a breather. This honorary bench is near a major confluence of several fire roads and trails. Just months before, the logging company had staged and placed hundreds and hundreds of stacked cut trees in this area. These piles felt like silent witnesses to the destruction of forest life. I gazed around quietly while Pretzel sat intently sniffing, both of us reorienting to the changes. The same quiet bench we sat on a year ago that was surrounded by trees, tall bramble bushes, birdsong, and wild grasses now felt bare, exposed, and lonely. The view felt very different, then a hint of surprise moved gently into my scope. As I got quiet, I noticed the incredible recovery the land had made in an incredibly short time. Peace and birdsong were indeed returning. Scars were healing. Young summer growth was bursting forth. Potential was everywhere.

As I got even quieter and left my thinking mind, I felt the surprising essence of forgiveness from the land, the eternal forgiveness that nature is so adept and good at. What an amazing role model nature is for us humans as she pulls up her bootstraps and like our giant revolving ball in the sky, continues to move forward and heal after devastation has struck.

With soft eyes I noticed the support of large tree trunks holding up others that were fated to die due to damage, I saw tall grasses nesting in scars and deep grooves in the land that were now equal height with the grass growth above them. The land and existing trees were creating a homeostasis and equilibrium for the damage done. Reaching for normalcy, reaching for help, reaching for each other. Natures deep, sacred memory had survived and was still there within this forest. Each seed had a determined destination and job to do; each remaining tree had a knowing to reach for the sky and support the other trees. It was in that moment that I realized Nature forgives, but it does not forget. Just like our dogs…

Pretzel and I held each other’s gaze as we both realized that animals also forgive but do not forget. Our own dogs show us this parallel regularly by learning to live with us humans and the molds we try to shape our dogs into. We tame their wildness and we grow their ability to live with us, learn from us, and be part of our two-legged community. They forgive us daily for our clumsiness and our control over their life. Particularly our rescue dogs that have somehow escaped from bad situations and learn to readapt and move forward with our love and support. In time, giving back that same support to us when we need it. It’s in a dog’s nature to heal, nurture, and support. It’s also in their nature to forgive but not forget.

So, what about us humans? Can the parallel extend to us? The parallels with dogs and nature are numerous and often seamless. Can we learn to shape our devastating life events, our emotions, our own wildness to try to move in the direction of forgiveness, yet gently cultivate the wisdom of not forgetting?

Not forgetting is a healthy survival instinct as long as it doesn’t trail behind us like a leash dragging a log. We, like our dogs, learn hopefully not to repeat the same thing too many times over. We can reap countless lessons from our memories if we sit quietly with them and just listen, just feel, just sniff life for a while. When we alchemize these memories, we acquire great wisdom and strength that we can gently reference in our daily interactions and choices. Memories can act like a sacred trigger for us to pause and consider our choices. Our dogs do this naturally.

Nature shows us that the actual key to alchemizing is to lean into forgiveness, to remove the chance of carrying any bitter memories into our daily lives, to release what no longer serves us. Difficult memories, when worn like armor eat us up and waste our precious time here on earth while squandering our chances at new encounters, new relationships, new possibilities, new potential. The wisdom of forgiveness is the wisdom of moving forward.

So, can we be more like Nature? Like our beloved dogs? Tapping into our natural born resilience, our bravery, and our wisdom are natural traits that can suppress fear, anger, worry, and old grief that stand in the way.

This honorary bench has held many precious thoughts and feelings, and I’m sure a few content, happy wagging dogs. Perfectly placed under a quiet grandmother big leaf maple tree for us to hold our ponderings as we listen to the wisdom of nature, the wisdom of life. A place to come to terms with the change that elicits growth and moving forward.

Pretzel and I had a big hill left to climb. We walked home sniffing and cheering on all the new growth around us. Instead of blindly running to the top, we looked at each other, wagged, and moved at a joyful pace that held our hearts and minds at peace.

We honored the wise branches of Mother Nature, knowing that we too are Nature.

And like nature, our dogs are always our teachers.

We are now in season of the Earth Element Dog – Do you think you have one? To find out your dog’s element and why they do what they do – check out the dog (and human!) quizzes in my book – Know Your Dog’s True Nature, Understanding Canine Personality through the Five Elements – Available in paperback, audiobook and eBook at booksellers around the world
Check out our free gifts! @ ElizabethAnneJohnson.com