Boundaries

goundhog eating a   poppy

boundary:  is something that indicates or fixes a limit or extent according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary.  I have been thinking about how often we talk about boundaries with friends, family, our animal companions, and the universe. Did you set boundaries with your son or daughter  and tell them  that you will not clean  up their messy rooms for the millionth time ? Is your dog or cat  getting his way with  treats even though you know that he has  eaten  too many already. We seem to have difficulty saying  both yes and no to others.
So I decided to sit and meditate about this issue.  And   the words that I heard were  profound and easy to remember. 
We need boundaries so that we can be free.
We need to balance our yeses and no's so that we can feel safe.
When we feel safe, we don't need any boundaries. 

Perhaps the boundaries are to help us to have enough "me"  time so  that we can hear the small still voice that tells us  if we are hungry or tired or  in love. Animals have all the time in the world to listen to their small still voices.They have a lot to teach us about boundaries.