I can't see you.
I can't tell you what I need, but
I need you to see me.
I need you to help me get my needs met.
Don't forget about me.
I am sweet, kind, loving, fun, adventurous, and full of JOY.
I can't communicate it in words, but
I can feel those things when you see me.
Don't forget about me.
You may think all I need is food, water, shelter.
Things that you can see and touch.
But what I really need is to be seen, heard,and
understood... felt.
Don't forget about me.
You see... what I need is also what you need.
We both sit in darkness
until you see the light in me,
and then your light shines bright for all to SEE.
When I'm free, you are free too.
Don't forget about me.
Love, Sophie
I wrote this one day as I sat with my blind dog, Sophie. It was actually written as if she was talking to me and I was just taking notes. When I read it back, I found myself in tears. It was as if the words pierced my heart and was pouring out it’s contents.
My dog Sophie has been teaching me about life and love and myself. She is a rescue dog that my daughter found and we took home. She wasn’t always blind. She was once a “dancer and a prancer” full of energy and loved to run and play with a tennis ball. She would sit for hours on a cushion looking out the window just watching all the birds, squirrels and any other critter that happened to wander by… she was mesmerized by everything.
One day we noticed her eyes were not clear, she seemed to have a film around them as if infected. We took her to the vet, tried some medications and two days later were back at the vet with a disheartening diagnosis. She had contracted a disease that attacks the organs inside and this fungus like disease attacked her eyes. We were told she is blind. Just like that, within one week our dog Sophie lost her eyesight.
It took a year of medications and treatments to rid her body of the fungus type disease and to stabilize the damage and inflammation to her eyes as we wanted to keep her eyes, not have them removed. Today, 5 years later she is a healthy, happy dog even though she is blind.
Sophie has taught me that life changes in a second and not to take anything for granted. Each day I tend to her eyes, feed her and take her outside to run free in our open fields. I help her experience who she is each day.
She is so loving and sweet. She literally sits and waits for us to love on her, meet her every need and look out for her well-being. She brings us so much joy.
Thus why I was in tears that day writing those words above. Sophie gave me the language of the soul. Spending time with Sophie is like spending time with my soul. Read those words again as if it is your soul talking to you. Our souls are just like Sophie… waiting patiently in the dark for us to see them, to acknowledge and spend time with them.
“Don’t forget about me”, says the soul. “Don’t forget about me. I will set you free. I am here sitting in the dark waiting for you to see me.”
Please take the time to get to know your own soul. Make your soul your BFF. Your soul will never forsake you, nor abandon you, and will always be on your side to guide you and help you create a life YOU love.
Kristi Conradie
