hello my friend welcome to your sleep story my name is Steven Dalton I'm an Irish Storyteller and it's my great privilege to be the voice that you listen to as you go to sleep tonight I know many of you if not all of you love animals and as a lot of you know I have a little dog that I love dearly in fact you might like to know that he's in the studio with me right now as I record this and so after hearing some suggestions from you guys and from talking with my wife Rebecca
I came up with an idea of writing a very simple story about one man and a dog and about how the dog really brings light into the old man's life I hope you like it if you want the video to end at a particular Point YouTube allows you to set a timer in the settings and don't forget to disable autoplay to avoid ads from upcoming videos okay let's do the relaxation session now which will take a few minutes before tonight's sleep story I'm going to count down from 10 to one and as I do allow
yourself to let go more and more 10 feel the support of the bed beneath you or the ground or whatever you might be lying on and beneath that feel the constant of the support of the Earth feel this solidity the peace that is offered by the Earth see if that feeling of support can allow you to let go a little more now nine feel into your body where do you feel tension tonight where are you still holding maybe in your feet in your hands maybe your face Maybe maybe your belly just let it go now
your body has worked hard for you today allow it to rest eight you are safe you are okay soften into that feeling of safety now allow my voice to be an anchor of safety to be safe in the knowledge that my voice will only ever take you to places of safety seven know that peace lives within you it is your constant [Music] friend it is always within you you just waiting to be seen it just takes a little bit of searching a little bit of [Music] softening a little bit of letting go to Wi wiess
that peace to feel that peace within you see if you can start to find it now six the day is done whatever whatever has been has been whatever will be will be whatever thoughts you have about the day that just was just acknowledge them don't fight them and just see them like passing clouds in a Starry Sky and let them pass away now and find yourself more in this moment and whatever thoughts you might have about the future you can't act on them now so just let them float away too five this is your moment
this is your time you deserve rest you deserve peace allow that fact to bring about more letting go now we all deserve rest and you deserve it as much as anyone else for perhaps allow a little gratitude now for the ability to have this moment to have the opportunity of rest you are fortunate so enjoy that fact settle in to the coziness of this moment really indulge now and enjoy this moment that you are blessed with three begin to engage with your imagination now begin to see a beautiful Old City about a hundred years ago
and see an old man on his own living in a beautiful big old apartment two check in with your body one more time now soften anywhere you might be holding and let go of any tension one completely letting go now now as I tell you tonight's sleep story there once was an old man he lived about a hundred years ago in a very Charming City one of those cities that people always like to visit to see the museums and the great art he had moved there in his youth just for that reason he wanted to
create and to find that creative life within him and he did that's for certain he became a great artist he had great loves a great Life as a Creator and lived every second to the fullest he was kind and generous and gave to so many he was much sought after in the community not just for his art or his money but for what he brought in spirit but as time had passed people that he loved moved on or passed on and gradually over time the man felt less like living the full life that he had
once lived he no longer went to the galleries to the cinema to the cafes or engaged with the community you just stayed inside and did well very little the only time he left the house was to go to the local corner store and by his Essentials and even that felt like like a big chore he didn't want to see anybody and he didn't want anybody to see him years passed by like this and the man had resigned himself to this existence accepting that the best of his life was behind him the vibrancy of the city
with its incessant flow of carriages and murmurs of passers by had become an echo of a life he once knew the walls of his Grand apartment adorned with paintings and sketches were now just remnants of his passionate youth where each stroke of the brush and dab of color were a Living testament to his creative Spirit but he would hardly look at them now he felt unable to most of the time then on a particularly brisk winter evening as the man trudged his way back from the store his coat buttoned High against the cold he felt
the weight of his Solitude more profoundly he was as usual avoiding eye contact with everyone around him the gas lamps above cast a gentle glow on the cobbled streets and in that Clow something very much caught his eye and it was very much looking back at him it was a little dog now this little dog with a coat as white as snow was quite the contrast to the tall gray-haired elderly man the dog had such Youth and the old man had so little the dog sat quietly by the side of the street watching the old
man with a gentle curiosity as the man approached the dog wagged its tail softly a gesture of friendliness in the chilly evening air the man who had long forgotten the simple joy of an unexpected encounter paused his heart was touched by the dog's presence curiosity peaked the man knelt down extending a cautious hand towards the dog in response the dog nuzzled into his palm its warmth and affection breaking through Years of Solitude the man felt a sensation a forgotten sensation stir within him a sense of connection to another living being hesitantly he looked around half
expecting the dog's owner to appear but the street was empty and it seemed as if the dog had appeared just for him over the next few days the man found himself looking forward to his brief trips to the the corner store secretly hoping to encounter the little white dog like clockwork the dog was there each evening its tail wagging in recognition the man even began bringing treats savoring the few moments of comp companionship that filled a void he hadn't quite realized was so deep or even in existence the man began to play with the idea
of letting the dark come and live with him he had more than enough room in his apartment and could do with the company it really seemed the dog was unattended and probably had no home but each evening the more reasonable part of him would win out and he would quietly bid good night to the little dog under his breath and quietly climbed the steps to his apartment and each night when he got back inside the apartment it started to feel even bigger and emptier than normal and each night as he started to settle into his
routine he started to hear a whimpering sound from below his window and each night it grew louder and each night he would pull back the heavy velvet curtain and there below his window sat the little dog its eyes looking up with a sense of longing and hope the sight tugged at the man's heart and on one particularly cold night as he looked down on the dark its small frame shivering slightly in the cold night air he was unable to ignore the co any longer and so the man descended the stairs of his apartment his heart
leading him toward towards a decision that reason alone could not dictate and opening the front door he found the little dog still still waiting its eyes gleaming in the faint light well it seems we are both in need of a friend the man said a gentle smile breaking through is usually reserved demeanor he stepped aside inviting the dog into his home and into his life the first night that the dog stayed in the house was like entering a different world for the little animal he had indeed grown up on the streets and it became clearer
to the old man once he got the dog inside that the little dog immediately needed a bath he filled a basin with warm water and gently coaxed the dog towards it the dog hesitant at first eventually trusted trusted the man's gentle demeanor and allowed itself to be lifted into the Basin as the man carefully bathed the dog washing away layers of Street Grime he spoke softly to the animal offering words of comfort the dog relaxed under his touch its initial apprehension giving way to enjoyment the water turned murky but as it was rinsed away the
dog's true coat a whiter than white was revealed after after the bath the man dried the dog with a soft towel marveling to himself at how such a simple Act of care could be so fulfilling the dog now clean and dry looked up at him with bright grateful eyes it was as if in that moment an unspoken Bond was forged between them the beginning of a companionship that promised to fill the void in both of their lives that night as they both settled in for bed the dog found a cozy spot at the foot of
the man's bed the old man watching the dog drift into a peaceful sleep felt a sense of contentment that he hadn't experienced in years the presence of the little dog brought a new energy to the apartment a living warmth that seemed to seep into its very walls the man had never had it dark before in fact he had never really understood the connection between humans and dogs but for the first time in a very long time the man was falling asleep with a smile on his face his heart lighter than it had been in years
the next day the man felt a new wind of energy and after a simple breakfast he made a list of Necessities for his new found companion the colar and Leash were at the top followed by nutritious food a comfortable bed and a few toys wearing his coat and hat the man stepped out onto the bustling streets the dog trotting happily by his side maybe I won't need that leash the man thought to himself the dog walks with me everywhere the city which had once felt so overwhelming and indifferent now seemed alive with possibilities people he
passed smiled at the sight of the cheerful little dog some stopping to pet him striking up conversations with Mr Ambrose interactions that would have been Unthinkable just days ago their first stop was a small pet shop the shopkeeper was a jovial man with a love for all creatures and he helped the man choose a sturdy colar and a leash just in case along with a few other Essentials as he shopped the man felt a sense of belonging of being part of the world again the dog meanwhile seemed to relish the attention it received from the
shopkeeper and other customers later as they walked through a nearby park the man observed the dog exploring the new environment with wide eyed Wonder children playing nearby were drawn to the friendly animal their laughter filling the air a sound the man realized he had missed dearly watching the dog interact with the world around him the man felt his own perspective broaden and you found appreciation for the simple joys of Life Awakening within him the man even ran into people people that he hadn't seen in years people that in fact made him feel quite emotional they
brought back memories of times long past and for the first time in a long time he felt grateful for those times not filled with longing for them to return nor regret but grateful that he lived those times and a sense of acceptance started to descend over him as he sat and talked with these old friends on this crisp and clear beautiful Winter's day as he walked home with the little dog after planning to meet with those friends again soon the man breathed in the world in a different way he saw the little Joys that are
there for us all to see whenever we want to see them he saw other human beings with fresh eyes he saw what might look like just mundane things in an entirely different light the miracle of existence was enough to put a smile on his face this day he noticed the beautiful buildings around him instead of looking down he now looked up he saw ornate features on building that he hadn't seen in years the craftsmanship of people made him think of his own art he saw the horses moving through the streets he saw the newly invented
automobiles appearing now and again and marveled at such an invention he saw people laughing people crying people hugging people smiling people shouting people loving and he was amazed at how rich life can be when you open your eyes to it and the thought came across him that it never hurts to have a little friend helping you along and as the day came to an end the man and the dog returned home the man set up a cozy corner for His companion complete with a soft bed and toys the little white dog now officially a part
of his life settled into its new home with ease there was only one thing left as the man sat in his armchair watching the little dog with a contented heart he realized that he hadn't given the dog a name and so the man thought it appropriate that he should call the dog after someone else who had given him great joy his favorite artist of of all time Claude Mane and so it was that on that Winter's day Mr Ambrose called his dog Claude Mr Ambrose and Claude Sat by a crackling comforting fire and Mr Ambrose
read his book and clawed snuggled on the rug by the fire and the presence of the little dog by his side brought such a new found warmth to to this familiar activity of reading the book a classic novel that he had been slowly making his way through seemed more engaging now the words on the page came alive as if the quiet companionship of the darkg had somehow enriched The Experience he found himself chuckling at the humorous parts and reflecting more deeply on the poent ones every now and then he would glance down at the dog
who would look back at him with a sort of understanding as if it too was part of the story this simple Act of sharing space with another living being even in silence brought a sense of fulfillment that had been missing from his life Mr Ambrose also noticed that his meals tasted better the music he occasionally played sounded sweeter and even the air in his apartment felt fresher the dog's presence had brought a new energy into his home turning mundane moments into small occasions of joy in the days that followed Mr Ambrose began to revive old
hobbies that he had long set aside he took out his paint brushes and canvases he was inspired to capture the world around him once again the dog would sit patiently by his side watching as colors and shapes took life on the canvas it was as if the little dog had not only opened the door back to the world for him but had awakened his entire creative spirit and each night as Mr Ambrose prepared for bed the [Music] dog following him to the bedroom he realized that he was looking forward to the next days a feeling
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