Important to find ‘snuggle-down’ moments

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 10, 2016

One of my favorite activities this time of year is Snuggle-Down Sunday. While it may sound like something football related, it’s not.

On Sundays, when my presence is not required elsewhere, I delight in being able to awaken at my body’s own timing without the “assistance” of an alarm clock. A great gathering routinely takes place, like wildebeests to a watering hole, as my animal companions realize it’s snuggle-down day.

Two 50-pound dogs and two senior cats vie for their favorite positions on the bed with me. Harley graces his throw pillow at the foot of the bed alongside the border collie. Piglet, the tiny cat, creeps into his chosen spot under my chin. Then there is Raven, our little Lab-mix therapy dog, for whom SDS was created.

Because we visit clients in private homes, she needed to learn to “snuggle down” on a bed. We’ve practiced this quietude since she was a puppy. She understood the command quickly, but I was taught so much more. I learned to slow my own life down and take a day (or at least a half day) of rest.

In the serenity of dawn, the ticking wall clock paces our home like a time-keeping heartbeat — a steady and reliable constant. Birds twitter, excited by the new day, reminding me to also begin with gratitude for another fresh start. Sometimes the rain patters on the roof, adding to the chatter of the great outdoors. Maybe a pine cone will clunk to the deck or I will “hear” a stillness so profound I peek out the window to confirm my perception that snow is falling.

As I do my own snuggle down between heated flannel sheets, relaxing in and out of sleep, I feel a sense of privilege communing with nature in this way. From the comfort of my own bed, surrounded by unconditional love, I cannot resist the welcome intrusion of renewed faith, hearty hope and a sense of peace I want to share with all mankind.

Each of us has our own path to renewal. For some, a Sunday sermon does just the trick. For others, a brunch or dinner with extended family or friends brings unspoken rewards. In this era of hurry, it’s never been more important for us to find and keep a ritual of self care that indulges us in the caring for our own spirit.

As creatures of nature ourselves, we must remember that we cannot remove ourselves completely from that which sustains us, and we certainly can’t expect someone else to do for us what is only ours, and ours alone, to do. Have you found your snuggle-down moment?

— Sana Hayes is a free spirit, as comfortable in a tiara as she is in pajamas. She writes to better encounter the radiant self in each of us. rescuetales@gmail.com