Dogs are animals of integrity. We have much to learn from them.
Year: 2015
Not bad for a dog who will be the human equivalent of aged 96 this coming June.
Pictures of Pharaoh playing in our creek taken last Tuesday.
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What a magnificent animal he is! Thank you, Pharaoh, for being the dog you are!
Our latest member of our family is one-year-old today!
(NB: I am presently away with my son enjoying the Wintry delights of Bend, Or and Mount Bachelor.)
Long-term followers of this place (thank you!) will recall a post published last October that included the following two photographs.
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Do you remember when puppy Oliver came to live with us?
Another picture of Oliver sitting on the lap of yours truly taken in the last couple of days.
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Here is a current photograph of the beautiful young man taken earlier this week.
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And another one taken later that day when I was writing this post in readiness for today.
Captivating ideas, thoughts and words.
(NB: I am presently away with my son enjoying the Wintry delights of Bend, Or and Mount Bachelor.)
In yesterday’s post, Be good to yourself, I featured a poem from Danna Faulds. I had not come across her before and this time around it was thanks to a recent post over on Val Boyco’s blog Find Your Middle Ground.
It didn’t take much effort to find more beautiful ideas from Ms. Faulds. Try these, for example:
Awakening Now
by Danna FauldsWhy wait for your awakening?
Do you value your reasons for staying small
more than the light shining through the open door?
Forgive yourself,
Forgive yourself.
Now is the only time you have to be whole.
Now.
Now is the sole moment that exists to live in the light of your true nature.
Perfection is not a prerequisite for anything but pain.
Perfection is not a prerequisite for anything but pain.
Please, oh please, don’t continue to believe
in your stories of deficiency and failure.
This is the day of your awakening.
Elsewhere, on a yoga website, we learn that Danna is:
Danna Faulds, poet and dedicated practitioner of Kripalu Yoga, is the author of four popular books of yoga poetry: Go In and In; One Soul; Prayers to the Infinite; and From Root to Bloom. She credits Kripalu Yoga and expressive writing with transforming her life.
Another web search very quickly finds this item over on the All Things Healing blogsite.
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by Danna Faulds
Editor’s Note from Diane Renz: I have just returned from the Center for Mindfulness Scientific conference, a powerful gathering for all teachers, researchers, clinicians, and practitioners engaged in Mindfulness in the world. The Center for Mindfulness if the base point for Jon Kabat Zinn’s MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) program developed over 30 years ago which, through science, has proven to benefit psychological, physiological, emotional, cognitive, and the many neural correlates relative to well-being. The last day we had the chance to practice mindfulness with Jon Kabat Zinn, Saki Santorelli, Florence Meleo-Meyer, Bob Stahl, which is where I first heard the Poem here called “Allow”. It is through our allowing where we each find our healing and return to our wholeness. In light of spring and all rebirth and beginning again, learning how to turn toward our pain so we can open to bright new growth rising up from the dark compost of our suffering.
There is no controlling life.
Try corralling a lightning bolt,
containing a tornado. Dam a
stream and it will create a new
channel. Resist, and the tide
will sweep you off your feet.
Allow, and grace will carry
you to higher ground. The only
safety lies in letting it all in –
the wild and the weak; fear,
fantasies, failures and success.
When loss rips off the doors of
the heart, or sadness veils your
vision with despair, practice
becomes simply bearing the truth.
In the choice to let go of your
known way of being, the whole
world is revealed to your new eyes.
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Again from that All Things Healing website:
About the Author
Danna Faulds is a long-term practitioner and teacher of Kripalu Yoga. A former librarian, she incorporated writing into her spiritual practices 
years ago, and this book is the result. Drawing inspiration from yoga and meditation, from the natural world, and from life, her poems capture both the struggle and the delight of the attempt to live consciously, in a voice that always encourages and uplifts. Common themes include awakening to true nature, touching the divinity within, overcoming fear and self-judgement, and the ineffable joy of spiritual union.
A wonderful recent reminder from Val Boyco.
(NB: By the time you read this, I will be away for three days with my son enjoying the Wintry delights of Bend, Or and Mount Bachelor.)
I spoke yesterday about the many writers who follow this place and, in turn, are followed by me. Val Boyco is one such example. Val writes the blog Find Your Middle Ground and it is with her permission that I republish a recent post of hers.
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Posted on February 24, 2015 by Val Boyko
A reminder for all of us who are working on self observation and dealing with our inner critic.
Be gentle with yourself on this part of the journey.
Self-Observation Without Judgment
Release the harsh and pointed inner voice.
It’s just a throwback to the past,
and holds no truth about this moment.
Let go of self-judgment, the old,
learned ways of beating yourself up
for each imagined inadequacy.
Allow the dialogue within the mind
to grow friendlier, and quiet.
Shift out of inner criticism and life
suddenly looks very different.
I can say this only because I make
the choice a hundred times a day to release the voice that refuses to
acknowledge the real me.
What’s needed here isn’t more prodding toward perfection, but
intimacy – seeing clearly, and embracing what I see.
Love, not judgment, sows the
seeds of tranquility and change.
Danna Faulds from “One Soul”
The last line will be with me all day 🙂
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Beautiful words!
A guest post.
When I started blogging back in July, 2009, I had not the slightest idea of what to expect. Frankly, if I had had any expectations, I still would have never realised the web of friendships that would result. In fact, it is only the sense, the strong sense, of friendship that flows from followers and friends of Learning from Dogs that keeps me at it. Many of those that follow this place are themselves bloggers and are followed by me in turn.
All of which is an introduction to an email that arrived some six days ago. This is what I read:
Hi Paul,
I posted this on my site, Scribble Darts from the Heart, yesterday. I was wondering if you would consider it as a guest post for your site. I know the actual event between polar bear and dog took place several years ago and you may have already shared something in this regard but I thought I would run it by you and see what you think.
Cheers, Mary 🙂
I dropped in to Mary’s blogsite and thought her idea of a guest post was wonderful. It is a very short guest post but you will love it! (And you will need a handkerchief nearby!)
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My Haiku today was inspired by the heartwarming story of a polar bear and sled dog that played together daily for over a week.
Here is that story.
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Trust, openness and friendship.
So much to learn from our beautiful animals.
Or is that crumbling edge technology!
Long-term friend, Bob Derham, recently sent me an item that had been forwarded to him.
It’s about the wonders of the technology that attempts to predict what one is writing; in other words predictive text.
Here’s the story (and to maximise the effect, I have turned on just for today the ‘Read more’ link.)
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THE TEXT
Hi Bob, This is Kevin next door. I’m sorry buddy, but I have a confession to make to you. I’ve been riddled with guilt these past few months and have been trying to pluck up the courage to tell you to your face, but I am at least now telling it in text as I can’t live with myself a moment longer without you knowing. The truth is, I have been sharing your wife, day and night when you’re not around. In fact, probably more than you, particularly in the mornings after you’ve left for work. I haven’t been getting it at home recently, but that’s no excuse I know. The temptation was just too much…. I can no longer live with the guilt and I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies and forgive me. I promise that it won’t happen again. Regards, Kevin.
THE ACTIONS
Bob, feeling anguished and betrayed, immediately went into his bedroom grabbed his gun, and, without a word, shot his wife twice, killing her instantly. He returned to the lounge where he poured himself a stiff drink and sat down on the sofa. He took out his phone to respond to the neighbour’s text and saw he had another message:
A lovely way to start a new week. Back on the 7th February, over on the blog Dog Leader Mysteries, Deborah published a post under the title of Returned to Owner: joyful dog + family. It is such a wonderful story that it is republished here, with Deborah’s kind permission.
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What a story plus a happy ending!
This true story comes from animal lover, dog rescuer and Redwood Writer, Brigid Wasson. I highly recommend you find and friend Brigid on Facebook and visit her Website. I posted Brigid Wasson’s bio sketch and links to her Facebook Pages at the bottom.
Brigid Wasson wrote on Facebook.
Tonight renewed my faith in the “RTO (Return To Owner) Program” that Sue Padgett and I started so long ago. Too little emphasis is placed on owner reclaims of “stray” pets in shelters, something I am working hard to change. A young couple was in a major car accident, leaving the woman disabled and in a wheelchair. Without transportation and unable to work, they fell on hard times after the accident. They had to move in with a relative who later kicked them out, and the person they trusted to care for their dog dropped him off at the County shelter. The dog wasn’t doing well at the shelter, so the director called and asked if I would take him to the humane society. We had no room, so he went to a foster home. A week later, the County shelter director called again and said the real owners had been identified. When they went to get their dog back from the person caring for him, they learned of the deception and felt devastated. Tonight, we delivered the dog to his owner in Ukiah. As soon as I turned into the parking lot of Safeway, he saw him and went crazy, whining and jumping at the window. I opened the door and he leaped into his arms, licking his face and howling “I love you.” The owner burst into tears and hugged him tight, thanking us many times. I had intended to get a photo for Facebook, but in the dark, in the rain, it was a private moment too sacred to capture. Even so, it will be in my mind forever, reaffirming why we do what we do.
Comments: I am so happy with this outcome and glad that you were able to play such a pivotal part in getting this dog reunited with his family! I have every confidence, that as time goes by, I will be reading more stories like this as more shelters get on board with aggressive RTO efforts! Good job, Brigid! So very touching. It’s not always easy to understand why other have to drop their beloved animals at a shelter. At the time we were so quick to condemn. So glad you were able to help. Animals always remember us. Brigid’s reply
We are so quick to judge when most of us are one injury or illness away from disaster, and life can change in a moment. We gave them our numbers and assured them that they can call us if they run into trouble again.
Awesome story! Never enough happy endings! You are good, good people. This is one thing that pulls at my heart strings. Seeing a grown man cry so hard when we open the truck door and his little dog leaped into his arms and started licking him on his teary eyed face. It was a great reunion for all of us. OH WHAT A STORY! I Love it!!! Thank you for being you Brigid. Great story Brigid. Those are priceless rewards we at shelters need to hear. What a wonderful story, reaffirms my faith in The goodness of people We live for these moments! yes, by all means
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Please visit the Website of Brigid Wasson Good Dogs Pet Sitting and her Facebook Page Animal Shelter Success. Brigid Wasson worked for the County of Santa Clara Animal Shelter as their supervisor. She now owns and runs two business, Good Dogs Pet Sitting and The Path Ahead Animal Shelter Consulting. Since it was too dark for photographs or video, here’s another wonderful Return To Owner story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLpXnoI_hJ8
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Here’s my closing thought. Dogs so often bring out the best in us humans!
Learning from Dogs 