This is a personal post, so skip it if you consider that it is irrelevant to you. I’ve just felt the need to share a bit of my life with you, so you get to know a bit better the person behind the crazy paintings like “The girl with the bird feeder hat”.
Four weeks have passed since I had to put my dear Nemo to sleep. It was such a hard decision but I couldn’t stand seeing his suffering any more. He stepped onto the path that lead to the angels’ realm and he didn’t want to leave it no matter how hard I’ve tried to lure him back. The light from the angels’ land was too peaceful and warm bright. And maybe he thought that I could use another angel friend to help me from above. I talk to him from time to time. He’s ok. He met Tara, and Micky, and Cody, and Didi, and Kiki, and Maya, and Rex, and Piciu, and Corsa, and Lady. He has more friends there than he had here. He’s in good company. As for myself, as you can see, I have an army of angels watching over me. I’m in good paws. I miss Nemo’s physical presence a lot, though. But my dear Nasuki (his name is a made up one, a mix I’ve made from Nose and Suki-that means beloved in Japanese), who is now the man of the house or the head of the pack, whatever you want to call it, feels the hole left in my soul by Nemo’s depart and he is so cute in his attempt to filling it. He surrounds me with his love more than ever before. Every night he comes to dream with me. Lately, I call him my “dream buddy”. He often falls asleep on my shoulder or on the pillow near me. The girls, Lala and Nera, keep me company during the day, Nasuki, during the night. It is like they have split their responsibilities. Funny, cute, loving dogs. I would say that I have the best four-legged friends in the world, but I am sure everyone feels the same about his own furry companions. So, I guess I am just another one in the crowd that is blessed with the unconditional love of her best friends.
In the first 3 photos you can see Nasuki, who came to share his dreams and love with me last night, adopting different positions according to his dispositions. At first, he used me as a pillow and, of course, I had to stay still, not to disturb his sleep in any way. In the end, he embraced his favourite sleeping position: on his back, legs up, kicking the air every time he dreams himself running. The pictures are not very good. They were taken in the dark, but you get the idea. In the 4th picture, I am with Lala, who is poking my head with her bent leg. I often lie down on the floor when I am tired. I find it very relaxing. And it would be, but, every time, at least one dog, if not all three, comes to keep me company. And their idea of keeping me company is different than mine. They come, lie somewhere near me, and start kicking me with their paws or noses to make 100% sure that I am aware of their presence and start, at once, fulfilling my duties that are, of course, to stroke them … preferably on their bellies. Why else would I lie down if not for that, they wonder? Such opportunistic best friends I have. It is said that one has what one deserves! I have poking dogs.
Thank you for taking the time to read these lines. They represent a part of me, a part of my thoughts, a part of my life, which is, mostly, split between my art and my dogs.
I would loooove to read about your own experiences (happy or sad) with your furry friends. Much love to you all!
Somewhere, in the middle of the ocean there is a sanctuary for bears, an invisible bear island, Ursidora on its name, where every bear may come and live a happy humans-free life. No need to run anymore, no need to hide, no need to tremble for their cubs. Many bears came, some stayed, some returned to where they came from as they were home sick. It is not an easy thing to leave your native forest and come living on a distant island surrounded by endless wild water surfaces, no matter how much safety it would provide. But for some bears the absence of humans on the island was more important. So they remained despite their home sickness, despite feeling like they lost their roots. In time, the feeling of “home” will be restored. After several generations of bears, this will be the only home they will know, and the other lands, the old-native ones, will be known only from stories and humanity will be just an old horrible incomprehensible dream.
The bears are, usually, solitary beings, but on Ursidora the whole 8 bear species live together, as a community, cubs and adults, males and females and they are living a peaceful, beautiful life. And they all have to contribute to the welfare of this new land. Every bear has his specific job her, as the island needs proper maintenance.
The sun bears provide warmth and light whenever it is needed. Sometimes, when the sun forgets to show his face on the sky for several days in a row, it gets a little chilly on the island and the berry crops might be compromised if it weren’t for the sun bears. So they have a pretty important job when it comes to food. Also, during the coldest nights of the year, they are summoned by the other bears to warm the island. For the cubs’ sake, of course, as the adults wouldn’t admit that they are cold. So they had found in the little ones the perfect excuse.
There is a special place on the north of the island where the weather is colder and there are even frozen areas. It is where the polar bears live. They are the biggest bears on the island and the only ones that had never tasted blueberries. Not until now, anyway. As the island waters are sparse in seals, they had to eat berries to supplement their diet. And ohhh! how their mouths watered when the first berries touched their palates! But they didn’t say that to the others. They have their pride. They are hunters. They are carnivorous. They don’t eat blueberries. Well…only at night when no one sees them. But don’t tell anyone. The word spreads fast and the other bears might find out and then the polar bear image would be ruined forever. So …shhhh!
The polar bears are in charged with providing chilliness in the hot summer days, so the weather may be bearable. And they make a play out of their job! For example, they make ice puzzle bricks or ice balls for the cubs to play with, and, sometimes, they even build ice slides for who ever feels like ice-sliding, cubs or adults. They have such a joyful spirit and this is seen in everything they do, even in their job! They are a delight to be near to, especially for the little ones. Every time a Polar bear appears, he is instantly surrounded by cubs. They know it is play time.
The Giant Panda bears‘ only job is to be cute and through their cuteness to bring love and joy into the others’ hearts. Every time someone is in a bad mood, it is time for Panda to enter the stage and bring a smile or an Awww on the face and in the soul of the moody one. And Panda never fails to lift up one’s spirit. He simply has to show up. That’s it. His innate cuteness does the rest.
The spectacle bears are in charge with the security of the island. Through their magnifying spectacles, they are the first to observe from a great distance any ship or any other human-made machine that is approaching the island. Ursidora is invisible, but not immaterial. So, if a ship, a submarine, or whatever takes its course, its secret existence is in danger to be revealed. And that would be the end of it. So the spectacle bears have a huge responsibility in spotting any potential danger in time and send the wind or the oceanic currents, according to the situation, to deviate the course of any approaching ship and keep the island and its inhabitants safe.
The Asiatic black bears or the moon bears as they are known, regulate the tides every time the moon gets wild. Crazy moon! When she has a bad night (usually after a quarrel with the sun), she can’t control herself anymore or she doesn’t want to. I don’t know. She’s a bit of a …lunatic. In such nights, she would raise the ocean level so much that if it wasn’t for the moon bears, the berry crops would be flooded and, therefore, compromised. Another important job of the moon bears is to light up the cloudy nights or any other nights in which the moon doesn’t feel like showing her face. She is such a moody lady. But precious, nonetheless. And a bit of light is imperative during the night as the spectacle bears cannot see in the dark and they have to do their job day and night.
The sloth bears are in charge with what they do best: relaxing. Their main concern is to make sure that everyone takes enough time for relaxation and doesn’t stress too much with working and with the problems of the island. They are also the ones who provide counseling as they are good psychologists. And, unfortunately, for this generation of bears, home sick might be a problem, from time to time, one that needs to be solved with the help of a specialist.
The American black bear is the painter and the story teller of the island. He narrates through words and images drawn on soil. He is always surrounded by cubs eager to listen to new invented adventures about unknown lands and unimaginable beings. Two days a week, Wednesday and Saturday, usually, are reserved for adults. They need stories, too., as they are good for the spirit. When they don’t tell stories, they paint portraits of the inhabitants. They are in great demand. Everyone wants to be immortalized on the island stones.
The grizzly bears are the wisest. They are the problem and conflict solvers (other than psychological, that are the sloth bears’ area of expertise). And there are many problems, many questions on the island: which way to go to reach the tallest peak, where to bury the cubs’ milk teeth, near whom to stay during the story telling gatherings, to make or not to make friends with the seagulls, how many stories a day are needed to be told and so much more. You see … the bears on this island have problems, too.
This is a glimpse of the bear lives on Ursidora. Of course you might wonder how do I know so many things about it. Well… just as Marco Polo knew so many things about the Invisible cities, so do I know things about the invisible islands. Because there are more. This is only one of them. I’ll tell you about the other ones another time. Probably. Oh! I forgot something of importance. Every New Moon, all the bears gather in the Spirit clearing, sun bears in the middle, looking like a big fire, the others circling them and pray together for the bears left home, on their native lands and for the humanity to awaken. Until the moment of awakening, Ursidora will exist somewhere in the planetary ocean. You will forgive me if I don’t divulge the location. It is only for the bears’ ears.
The Facts (that led to the story):
There are 8 bear species in the world and their future doesn’t look too bright. Nor does the present, actually. They are haunted for trophies, for their paws, for their meat, for their gall bladder, they are used in the circus, they are showcased in Zoos, they are raised in bile-bear farms. Humans would do anything, would use everything and everyone in order to stay healthy, beautiful, entertained, fulfilled in every aspects of their lives (or at least in several, but the more the better) and, above all, to extend their lives to the maximum possible. We are ignorant, we take many things for granted, we like to think we deserve a lot, if not everything. We consider we deserve treats to ease and/or sweeten our lives because being human is hard enough (at least this is one of our pretty-often-used excuses for many unkind things we do) and, of course because we are the “superior” beings (according to our definition of terms).
I am ignorant in many aspects of life, too, but I am learning, I am trying, I do my best not to let myself drown completely in the sea of ignorance, as I see it as the root of all the suffering in the world, even if it gives one the illusion of happiness. Of the bile bear farms – real houses of horrors – I’ve only heard several weeks ago, even though they exit since 1980, but, knowing human nature, the information didn’t surprise me a lot. A little bit more sadness made its way into my heart, but I am already used to it, so… it’s not a big deal, and it made me realize once more that the shadow of the Middle Ages is still present in today’s world. For the sake of medicine, thousands of bears are imprisoned in tiny little cages, not bigger then coffins and sucked dry of their bile day after day after day for years, in multiple farms in China, Vietnam, Laos, South Korea, Myanmar. The ursodeoxycholic acid, contained by the bear bile, is medically proven to help dissolve gallstones and treat liver disease and even if the scientists have found synthetic alternatives to it, there are some doctors that are still after the “natural thing”. Therefore, bears are still hunted for their bile and, even worse, they are raised in dystopian farms for the same purpose. The farms had become illegal in some of the mentioned countries but people still find methods to elude the law and perpetuate this diabolic practice. The Giant Panda bear is the only one who is exempt from these dreadful farms as his body doesn’t produce the so-much-wanted acid. Lucky Panda!
The caged bear images are horrific, the thought of what they are subjected to is really disturbing. The thousands of medical articles over the internet speaking of the benefits of bear bile products are a disgrace to humanity. The advertising of such products is sickening. The demand of such products around the globe is beyond sad. But there are the others, the ones that make my heart smile, the ones that care for something/someone else but themselves and their own good, the ones that took action and started fighting for the bears, the ones whose souls and thoughts and actions light the planet. And they are winning this hard and long battle. Slowly, but they are winning. We’ll wear the stigma of such horrible actions in our history pages and in our conscience forever but, hopefully, the bears will find the compassion in their hearts and they will be able to forgive us one day.
Sending the caged bears my thoughts infused with love, compassion and good vibes doesn’t help much. So I have joined #TheOnlyCureIsKindness campaign on AnimalAsia.org and decided to help these poor souls trapped in bear bodies in every way I can from distance. It isn’t their fault they are bears. It is their luck. Or the lack of it. I invite all of you, who resonate with the cause, to help a bit. Any little help counts more than one might think.
Thank you for reading!
Note: Money earned by selling this design will be donated to AnimalAsia.org to support them in their fight against bile bear farming.
This piece is dedicated to my dear Nemo, who passed away 2 weeks ago. Until we meet again, we dance together in the rain, in my dreams and in my thoughts.
Yesterday my brother paid me a visit. He was on a short motorcycle ride and he stopped by on his way home to say hi. I offered to make him some pancakes but he refused as he was in a hurry. I insisted. He refused me again. I insisted more (I am really pushy sometimes. I must work on that) telling him that they will be ready in no time. He again refused my offer and told me that he promised his wife he’d be home before the night fall. She doesn’t like knowing him riding his motorcycle during the night time. I understand her completely so I wished him a safe trip and thanked him for stopping by. He did not get home on time. Only 15 more km to go and he got a flat tire.
The moment he called me to tell me what happened I had suddenly realized just how much we depend on luck, fate, God… whatever you want to call it, in our daily life. For me, the simple things, the more or less ordinary moments of life have that special power of opening my eyes if they come at the right moment, in the right circumstances, in the right “shape”. And it seems that my brother’s motorcycle had the perfect shape”! Of course I was aware that we don’t have complete control over our lives, but that was the “A-ha” moment that had short-circuited my lazy neurons irreversibly and made me realize at a much deeper level not only the idea of , let’s say, fate, but the importance of embracing it instead of fighting it or complaining about it. We might want things, we might make plans, and, when things don’t go according to our plans, we might fight, we might struggle, we might rebel but, in the end, we have no control over anything, we are in fate’s hands. The sooner we embrace this idea, the better. The only thing we can control is the way we perceive things, the way we respond to life. Well… this perception might also be an illusion but I leave the discussion for another time . Anyway, instead of fighting, or lamenting, or seeing ourselves as victims of life’s circumstances, we might as well try to embrace life as it is, to see the light in everything and try to perceive every misfortune as a possibility for growing. I know I don’t say anything new. We have all met this idea many times on the internet, in movies, in books, but for me this was the moment in which this simple knowledge permeated my every cell and became part of me.
On the subject, Nietzsche once said: “My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it…but love it”.
I liked the phrase that he used to express his idea. Amor fati comes from Latin and it is rooted in the wisdom of the ancient Stoic school of Greece, that means “love of one’s fate”. It describes an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one’s life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the very least, necessary. Well… I don’t know if suffering is necessary, but it, for sure, help us grow if we are inclined to introspection. If we aren’t, then there is the risk that we are suffering in vain and nothing good comes out of it. And it really is a pity to suffer and not learn something of it or do something out of the situation. A kite, at least, or a paper crane, or a house for lady bugs. Anything. For our own good or for somebody else’s.
The same idea we find at Epictetus, who, two millenniums ago, said: “Ask not that events should happen as you will, but let your will be that events should happen as they do, and you shall have peace.“ There you go: the key to peace of mind, according to the slave turned philosopher, is accepting one’s fate: with good and bad, with chaos and order, with wins and loses, with everything.
The idea is not about becoming passive and accepting everything with resignation. Not at all. It is about working with the situations. Together. As a team. And instead of letting yourself crushed by the wave of “misfortunes” that has just come upon you, or instead of trying to resist it, to fight it when it hits you, just acknowledge it, jump on it, ride it, make the best out of it. You’ll end up with a wave-ride and, most probably, you’ll catch a big fish. But really… only riding a wave would be awesome with or without the fish. So… why not try the experience?
For example, next time when you are on your summer holiday on a wonderful beach in Greece and it doesn’t stop raining for days, don’t get mad, don’t blame fate. Embrace the situation, turn it into something to remember. Dress yourself beautifully, for a special occasion, get out and dance in the rain, dance with the rain. Let the water drops kiss you, kiss them back, give the rain a big hug, make it your dance partner, thank the sky for this blessing. Because rain is a blessing. In moderate quantities.
And this is how this “Amor Fati or Dancing in the Rain” piece was born. It all started with a flat tire. I leave the neuroscience to decipher the intricacies of my brain as I have abandoned this task long ago.
What better excuse for a break from work than a delicious cup of coffee? Usually I enjoy my coffee alone, while reading an article or watching a podcast, but today I felt the need for company, so I invited a good friend: the Cosmic Lady. She comes from time to time for a chat and she always have some interesting mysteries of the universe to unravel or some great pieces of advice to give me that I cannot ignore.
Today she was in the mood for poetry and she quoted William Henry Davies:
“What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?”
And then nothing. We sat in silence, drinking our coffees and staring: at clouds, at birds, at trees, at everything around us. It was a nice, enlightening coffee break.
PS: Initially, I intended to write a longer post, but I really want to take my time and just stare some more! So…this is it! Enjoy your coffee and stand and stare! 🙂
Paula Belle Flores 