On a sunny March day in 2001, I sat on a park bench below the Acropolis in Greece. It was early in the morning, and already the parking area was lined with tourist buses. A steady stream of visitors trailed up the hill towards the majestic Parthenon. Down below, an unforgettable drama began to unfold, and soon I was to have a Reiki experience like no other.
I became fascinated with the goings-on of a unique group of area "residents". The Acropolis is home to numerous packs of maverick dogs who roam the ancient area, foraging for a bit of food and a puddle of rainwater. At any second, two or more of them may aggressively compete for a prized scrap of discarded food. Their haunches are callused from sleeping and scrambling about on the acres of gleaming marble pavement, which covers the Acropolis hill. Most have an assortment of old battle scars, and from day to day, they live as they can, uncared-for and unnoticed by the human community.
Dog lover that I am, my heart went out to these poor neglected creatures, who seemed oblivious to the camera-toting travelers around them. That is, except for one brownish black dog who stood about 30 feet from my bench. His behavior was quite unlike any of his four-legged companions. He sat and stared directly at me. I stared back. Slowly he lifted his thin frame from the marble and tentatively began to limp towards me. He advanced only a short way, then stopped to lick an area on the side of his body. He eyed me again, and walked a few more steps, then repeated the licking. As he came closer, I spotted a seeping wound on his right side. Each step seemed to be a slow and painful ordeal. Still, he continued, coming ever closer. At about 10 feet away, he looked soulfully into my eyes one last time. All of a sudden, I knew! I looked back and inwardly said, "Of course I will! Yes, of course!" With that, he turned and gradually moved away, stopping now and then to look back at me. In a few minutes he was gone.
Later that night, I did what was asked. It was one of the most profound distant healings I'd ever channeled. I named him Demetrius. I'd always liked the sound of the name. And each time I sent healing for Demetrius, my hands buzzed with the energy. The next day, much to my surprise, our tour guide led us to the Church of St. Demetrius, and explained that the real Demetrius, a Christian martyr in the 1st century, was associated with spontaneous healings! If ever one decided to participate in his own healing by requesting Reiki, it was Demetrius, the Acropolis dog!
