True Kinship With Animals: Not A Glamour Shot
Updated from the original post published on Medium Oct. 14, 2022
A question for you:
What does true kinship with animals look like? What does it feel like?
Here’s a hint to the answer: it’s different for all of us on different days and in different ways.
It can be easy to fall into the trap of expecting true kinship to present itself one way, perhaps like the picture perfect relationships so prevalent these days on social media.
I’ve gone down that enchanting rabbit hole more than once. Is it obtainable? Yes, of course. Is it an authentic one that includes the animal’s agency? Hmmmmm………
We are bombarded by so many outside sources that it can be easy to unconsciously substitute someone else’s idea of true kinship for yours.
That substitution sneaks up slowly, it is often subtle and insidious. You think you’re living your own truth and the next thing you know it has taken a back seat to someone else’s. How the heck it happened!
Here’s the thing: You are under no obligation to accept someone else’s truth, but you are under obligation to know and live your own when it comes to your relationship with animals.
What Is True Kinship?
Let’s start with what it’s not.
True kinship is not a glamour shot. It’s often a swirling, chaotic jumble mess of gives and takes, confusion, cleaning, clearing, wondering what the next step is, wondering if there is a next step, wondering if you should keep the status quo. Or not.
In other words, just like life.
True kinship is:
Recognizing animals are more than ‘just an animal’
Relating to animals through a new place of understanding
Reimagining a new way of being with animals
It is made up of real life and our daily, sticky, muddled engagements with each other. Relationships with animals take time, patience and a willingness to meet animals where they are and not impose on them where we think they should be. True kinship is being open to accepting both yours and the animal’s agency and sentience.
True kinship is not playing the “because I’m human and I said so” card.
Have you engaged with true kinship in your life yet?
If not, here are some places to check out more about true kinship:
Intrigued? Why not schedule a free 30ish minute discovery call and find out more? No pressure, no expectations. One animal lover to another.
