Karma

I am in love.

I am in love with a warm cuddly being with no teeth, a tongue that hangs out, and who doesn’t walk so well…

 

She is the essence of unconditional love. And she knows her job in life – to be a love sponge and give that love to everyone she meets without judgment, with total compassion, and to just be a healing force in the world. So since it’s February and soon it will be Valentines Day, I thought I would write about what unconditional love can look like. Meet Karma, the love dog.

 

My dentist, Dr. Cameron Garrett, and his wife Debra rescued Karma from Muttville Senior Rescue in San Francisco with the intention of her being a companion for Debra’s mother. After a short time it was clear that this was not a perfect match, so instead of taking her back Debra and Cameron did what they thought was best and adopted Karma themselves. With a busy work schedule and with both of them in the office every day, they started to bring Karma along with them and very soon found out about her special calling. They bring her to work every day and her “job” is to just cuddle with anyone having anxiety in the dentist’s chair.

 

To have Karma lie on your lap when Dr. Garrett is drilling away is quite an amazing experience. With my last office visit I could feel the calming effects of her: feeling her breathing with me, making little doggie sounds as she slept on my lap, and just being able to pet her made my visit – well I can’t really say fun, but I made it through and left feeling calm and centered. 

 

Without fanfare or publicity, Karma is healing the world – one patient at a time. I thought to myself how can I be more like Karma – just giving love and being a healing force in the world, without any thought of how that love would be returned. It feels to me like that is what we are all being called to do now, even more than ever – love without judgment, loving unconditionally, and just spreading that love to anyone we see. A smile. A kind gesture. Making eye contact with a stranger that lets them know you see them. Small gestures…maybe that’s what will heal this world…. Maybe we can all live our lives like Karma the love dog.