The Fog is Lifting

I just did a brief “nature walk talk” about the fog lifting. At that time, I snapped the photograph that accompanies this article. In it, as I hope you can see, the fog has not quite fully lifted, but it is moving to reveal what has been obscured. I waited and watched. I witnessed the fog lift—very slowly. Literally and figuratively, when the fog lifts, we have an opportunity to begin to see things with more clarity. It is a process. We cannot rush it. The fog takes its time. It doesn’t lift all at once.

In general, fog develops overnight and lifts in the early morning hours.

We must be willing to wait, to pay attention, to be patient. In the process, we can acquire insights along the way. Before the fog fully lifts, we see shadows of what we think is being revealed. We may notice some details, and if we’re lucky, we will see a whole new picture. Why? Because more of what we need to see is now exposed. I felt inspired to watch the fog move as it lifted.

Sometimes when we are “in a fog” we do not realize that there is movement happening. The fog is actively shifting but we are unaware because we’re stuck in the fog. We do not appreciate that the fog is not stagnant. It is a kind of cloud that touches the ground. Yes, it is tough to see through it and yes, it obscures our view.

One dictionary definition of the phrase “in a fog” is “being preoccupied, not paying attention; also, at a loss, confused.” If we give ourselves time, we too, can watch the fog within ourselves dissipate so that we can see what is hidden and, when we are trying to figure out a problem, have a fresh look.

We can observe the changes in the atmosphere. We can literally watch the fog that surrounds us lift, and with it, we can be open to our mood changing.

Now that we see more clearly, we can gain insight. We view the situation from a different perspective. It is helpful to recognize that the “fog” we experience within can shape our attitude, our perspective, and our view about what is possible.

As a very young girl, I remember being frightened when my mother and I were driving at night on a country road through a very dense fog. We couldn’t see anything and then, suddenly, a car was right in front of us! My mom stayed close to the car so we could see a bit of the taillights. Then, as the fog lifted a little, we noticed a hazy outline of the car. It was creepy because we couldn’t see anyone driving the car. But we knew that if we focused on a “driverless car” we would be way too scared, so we just followed the lights and sang. What I remember about that night was how singing the entire scores of Broadway shows calmed our fear. As the fog lifted a bit, we noticed that there was a very old and small person driving the car in front of us…and we found our way home.

Another time I was with my uncle in his boat and the fog rolled in. Within moments we lost all sight of land. We had no idea where we were. Every 3 minutes he blew the foghorn to alert anyone on the water of our presence. We were out there for 6 hours waiting for the fog to lift, which it finally did. And when we arrived at the dock, all of our relatives were there, ready to scold us but waiting to hear about “our adventure.”

Ella Fitzgerald sang these moving lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh: “Like a ship at sea I’m just lost in a fog; my mind is hazy; my thoughts are blue. Guess I’ll always be kind of lost in a fog without you.”

How Pets Help Children Have Less Stress

Childhood mental illness and obesity are significant health care concerns in the U.S. As pets (dogs in particular) have been linked with health benefits for adults, they may also be part of a preventive and early intervention approach for promoting similar benefits for children.

There is ample evidence to support the myriad health benefits of pet ownership (and visitation). Pets can stimulate conversation which helps to alleviate social anxiety. Dogs tend to follow human communicative cues, and this in turn, could aid in emotional development.

Increasingly common is animal-assisted therapy with dogs and horses. Animal-assisted therapy seems to reduce anxiety and arousal and alleviate separation anxiety. This aids in improving mental health and modulating some effects and symptoms of some developmental issues.

Medical studies link therapy dog visits to an improvement in a variety of health conditions including, increased energy levels, calmer respiratory rates, lower pain scores. Moods improve specifically in areas related to stress, anger, and depression and treatments related to chronic illness.

If you are considering getting a pet, here are four benefits that you can incorporate into your children’s lives:

• Daily Care for Pets = Structure. Since pets require daily care, the structure and regular routine for their care sets a schedule for when your child can feed, exercise, and clean up after your pet. This helps build responsible behaviors and organization. It helps create stability and a feeling of control over our lives.
• Getting Comfortable with Social Interactions. Pets can help build positive social skills and relationships because they build a bond that teaches us about compassion and care for another living being. These are skills children can take with them into social interactions. Some children who have pets have shown a positive increase in emotional expression and a feeling of control in their lives. Also, being around animals can decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
• Physical Touch. There is evidence that petting a dog or cat can lower blood pressure and anxiety. Most people have a psychological need for physical touch, and stroking a pet can help reduce stress and build trust.
• Pets Depend on Us. The comfort and companionship of a pet can make us feel less alone and remind us that we are not alone. Because pets depend on us for their care, having them in our lives provides a sense of meaning. Knowing that a pet needs us to get up and care for them can alter our perspective for the day. When a child has the opportunity to care for a pet it fulfills their need to feel important and needed and to have a purpose.

Listen to Your Intuition

We all know that feeling we get deep in our soul; that feeling when we know something is right or wrong without having to think about it. That is our intuition.

Learning to listen to our intuition can make us more confident in our decisions, whatever aspect of our life is under consideration: relationships, priorities, work, spiritual needs, and general life direction.