My friend, Sara, brought a book over for me to read about a man and his ‘lifetime dog’. That man is Jon Katz, and the dog was Orson, a border collie he adopted when it was 3 years old. I haven’t finished the book, but already I see how Mr. Katz’ bond with the dog helped him deal with some of his own internal issues. I can also see that by reading and experiencing Mr. Katz’ journey, some of the therapy can transcend the pages of the book and help the reader with his or her own issues. Mr. Katz has a familiar, friendly way of sharing his stories, which are wholesome, simple, “fabric of life” tales that almost anyone will find relative. Since I haven’t finished the book, I can’t go so far as to put a “highly recommend” on it yet. I do know that Orson is ultimately put to sleep because his behavior issues escalate, and I am not sure how I will feel about this decision until I learn how things became so dire. I have learned that it is easy to pass judgment on people and their decisions, and the old adage “walk a mile in my shoes” can tremendously alter our understanding. So, I’m reading on, and will post my conclusions when I am finished. It’s good to have a stimulus that causes us to examine thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that we might otherwise stuff and ignore. More later……but here’s a picture of the book & Orson–what a beautiful animal!