One of the things animals who are close to death request the most, might be surprising to some people.

Animal people often check in with me near the time their pet is transitioning out of the body. They want to convey tender messages and receive messages back about last wishes. It’s my honor to facilitate these late-in-life communications, and one of the things animals request the most is being together with their beloved human, in quiet reflection of all they have meant to one another. In other words, just being fully present and together.

And that’s really a reflection of the simple, straightforward way animals communicate.

For very busy people, it’s hard to understand that cows in a field are often not participating in lengthy dialogue with their bovine friends. They are just being together. They may enjoy the sun, reflect on the weather, take a stroll, or scratch on a fence post, but their countenance feels calm and their souls feel very present to the moment of experiencing.

It’s the same with a flock of chickens in a pen. They may look busy with their continuous soft clucking, and naturally, there are times when their attentions shift to another nearby animal, a change in the wind, or a visit from their caretaking human companion. They may communicate, ‘hey, I found some great worms over here,’ but for the most part, they are just being together with simple feelings of exploration and wonder.

The sweet simplicity of an animal being present to what is here and now teaches me to be more like that, and finding joy or meaning in the moment is the result.

That unfettered joy was brought home to me by a black labrador retriever named Blackie one day.