Posted on Feb 05, 2021
By Ellie Laks, Founder of The Gentle Barn
As an animal communicator, I have talked to so many animals who can tell me exactly what their people say and do after they are out of their bodies. It has led me to be absolutely convinced that there is no such thing as “death” and to know that love is forever! I have also spoken to hundreds of living animals who know exactly what is going on in their homes and give their people marriage counseling and advice on how to better live their lives. We are so blessed to have our animal companions; they enrich us every day! This month we are celebrating all our loved ones, past or present. We are thinking of the ones with us in spirit, and cherishing the ones still present physically. We are forever grateful to have known, loved, and cared for so many angels and share them with you.
John Lewis came to us orphaned, sick, sad, and broken. Jay and I stopped at nothing to save him, and thank goodness bringing him in the house and becoming his family paid off, because he made it. We could not save his mom, but we named her in a naming auction. Out of the hundreds of names we could have pulled out of the bowl, the name that was pulled was “Love”! Everything John Lewis does, every heart he opens, every life he touches, every person he inspires, every cookie he eats, every game that he plays, every friend that he meets, he is doing it all for Love! Love is always here with us, watching over Lewis, experiencing the kindness he is receiving that she never did, and living this life with him in spirit. I hope that she knows that when we are loving him, we are loving her at the same time.
Einstein never knew love at all, only the cold glare of people who were raising him for food and could not see his soul. Dreaming of a better life, Einstein escaped and lived feral for three years alone. He had no shelter from the rain, was covered in ticks, and was always on guard ready to escape should anyone approach. By the time we found out about him, it was the dead of winter and he was cold and exhausted. We set up a feeding station for him with food and warm water at the same time each day, and little by little enclosed it with a fence that helped us finally catch him. For months I talked to him and described the life he would have at The Gentle Barn. I told him of the friends he would make, the family he would have, the warm barn, the fresh food, the clean water, and the gentle hands. I am so grateful to have been able to fulfill those promises, keep my word to him, and show him that love does exist, and he can now have it every day for the rest of his life!
The only thing Worthy did have was love. She had no food, water, shelter, or human kindness. Her leg was grossly deformed, and she was hobbling around in pain. There was no one to help her. But she did have her mom and brother to protect her and keep her company. When we rescued Worthy and brought her to the hospital to have surgery to fix her leg, it was the love of her mom that kept her strong to endure the lengthy surgery and recovery. Worthy now has everything all animals deserve, good food, freshwater, kind humans, and the love of her family always with her as she gallops around our pastures and through our woods feeling safe, happy, and full of life!
Love is what we all have in common, whether we had it all along, got it from our animal companions, or we found it at The Gentle Barn, love connects us all and lifts us up. Love heals our hearts, propels us forward, and gives us hope for the future. And at The Gentle Barn, Love is not just something we say, but a verb that we practice each and every day. We love animals so much that we don’t eat, wear, or harm them in any way. We love our bodies, our Mother Earth, and our animal neighbors through compassionate action at every meal and every time we go shopping. This Valentine’s Day we send our love out to you too, as part of our gentle family, and want to thank you so very much for loving us, supporting us, and enabling us to save, rehabilitate, and give sanctuary to all our animals. Thank you for loving us, so we can love them, so they can love you!