Here + Now = WOW!

Having just graduated with my Associate of Science degree in Assistance Dog Education from Bergin University of Canine Studies (alongside the beautiful dog I trained second semester, who is now the forever-companion to a woman with paraplegia), I stand at the threshold of another great transition period. Here, I rush at the realization of where I've been, how far I've come, and where I am headed.

It is difficult to adequately express the scope of my life at the moment. But a few major events help shape the picture, and provide an accurate meter for the HUGE-NESS of it all. In fact, I can weave together the pieces using stories of each time I have given my new book to someone since I finished it a few of months ago.

Each of the following situations is proof that if you dream big enough, work hard enough, hold out faith long enough and STAY OPEN TO ALL POSSIBILITIES, you WILL hit undeniable milestones along the path to success that you, yourself, have created.

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On the last day of Spring break, in mid-March, I reunited with my dear friend Nena at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Nena is the amazing woman who gave my first book, A Dog's Life...In Paradise, to Cesar Millan when she worked as an editor on his show, Dog Whisperer. She and I shared special times together in Kona, volunteering at the Hawaii Island Humane Society, drinking coffee and talking Life. And I will never forget, as long as I live, Nena's phone message from her desk back in L.A. on March 9th, 2011 (the day of the massive earthquake in Japan, and the resulting tsunami on the Big Island). In it, she said "Hi Liz, this is Nena. I thought I should let you know that on this day - Wednesday - your book was in Cesar's hands. I just got a call from the set that the photograph has been taken (of Cesar with the book) because he actually read it. He read your letter. And he told the crew he thinks he's in love...Something reached. Something touched. And it has been read. Well done, my friend."

Because I had put tremendous amounts of time and energy into connecting with Cesar, (to share with him my professional goals and the desire to work with him and learn directly from him as a "Whisperer's Apprentice"), this was obviously a great moment for me. Though I am grateful to Nena for so much more than passing my gift on to Cesar. She is a dear, loving and infinitely supportive friend, so being able to give her my second book - during a joyous mainland reunion that included my two service dogs in training and Nena's beautiful daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter - was the greatest gift of all.

On March 29th, 2013 (just after we - the students - delivered a litter of puppies), my professional idol and spiritual teacher, Cesar Millan, actually came to speak at our school. He was in town for a big stage performance that evening at the Wells Fargo Center, (which my roommates and I also attended), and honored us by visiting Bergin earlier that day. As Bonnie led him around campus on a tour, we went to work with our dogs in the training room, so that he could peek in and see us doing what we do. Sure enough, just as Elyse jumped up to turn off the light switch, then put her front paws on my lap in the wheelchair to give me kisses, Cesar Millan stood at the doorway with a huge smile on his face. He was very impressed with all of the students and dogs, and I just could not believe he was there. So close, so easily within reach, when meeting him had seemed a light-years-away dream for so long.

As Bonnie and Cesar (and Cesar's small entourage) finished touring the campus, we put our dogs in their kennels, and filed into the classroom. I was given the honor of sitting front and center, in order that I could hand Cesar a copy of his book to sign for our library; and then I could give him the gift I had for him, which was a copy of my own book, Conversations With Dog: Dog-Given Inspiration From the Heavenly Island of Hawaii.

He gave me a big hug and everyone applauded, so happy for me to have this ultimate dream come true. After Cesar's presentation, he took a group photo with the students, then went around and shook everyone's hands. When he came to me, he hugged me a second time and asked, "Are you going to be staying around here for a while?" I said, "Well yes, unless you hire me, in which case I'll be moving to Southern California". And he replied, "Sure! As soon as you're finished here." While his tone when he said this was tongue-in-cheek, he still said it, and THAT is cool!

A couple of weeks later, I received an email from a young man I didn't know. In it, he praised my book, and told me I had inspired him to follow his own dreams in spite of being discouraged to do so by his parents. I asked him where he had seen my book, and he told me he found it ("facing out") on Cesar Millan's book shelf, next to his own books. More incredible affirmation, for which I am so happy and grateful!

Less than two weeks later, a few classmates and I (along with our five service dogs) ended up meeting another absolute hero of mine, Dr. Jane Goodall, after hearing her speak in Santa Rosa. Fourteen years ago, when I met Dr. Goodall the first time, I handed her a letter I had written her about the work I was doing with whales and dolphins. Several weeks later, I received a handwritten postcard from Jane herself, which said "Dear Liz, Thank you for your letter. I wish you all success in anything you do for the whales and dolphins. They so much need help. I am just over halfway through this marathon 9 week tour. It's going well but is really exhausting. Thanks again, Jane Goodall." That postcard hangs on my wall and remains my most prized physical possession to this day.

This time around, I was able to hand Dr. Goodall a copy of my book. Not only that, but when Jane saw the pack of us approaching she got up from her book signing table, passed several people that were ahead of us in line, and got down on the floor to love on all the dogs! To my puppy, Kristina, I gave the command "Get it"! She complied and took Jane's book in her mouth. I said "Give it to Jane!", which she did, with a crazily wagging tail. Jane signed her book for me, and then continued to accept licks all over her face from our happy, happy dogs.

Meeting my two greatest professional heroes (within EIGHT DAYS of one another) was not only tremendously exciting, but was representative of something SO MUCH BIGGER than either event in and of itself. It was clear, grandiose affirmation from the cosmos that I had arrived at a major, elemental benchmark in my life's work. I had reached a pedestal once deemed unreachable by a less confident, less complete Me. I hit a profound reflection point, against which to further define the career that I have built, dream by dream and brick by brick, from my own imagination, blood, sweat, tears and loving labour. To put into their four hands with my own two, the creative product of all that lives and breathes within my spirit, was clarification that I am indeed exactly where I need to be, and going in precisely the right direction.

(An addendum to this post: Just a couple of weeks ago, I received THIS hand-written postcard from Jane Goodall, thanking me for the book, which - needless to say - completely blew my mind in the best possible way! It says "Dear Liz, this is to thank you so very much for Conversations With Dog. Two things which I have always loved are DOGS and BOOKS! I look forward to settling down with this when my never-ending tour is over. Again, thank you. - Jane Goodall)

The next person to get my book was Zach Skow, director of a very special animal rescue organization in Tehachapi, CA. Zach's organization is as much Zach himself as it is a highly functional and widely known and respected non-profit that saves dogs from death row, rehabilitates and re-homes them. This personal openness on Zach's part was, in fact, what originally drew me to his organization, Marley's Mutts. I came across a Facebook post of Zach's, in which he talked about dancing with his mom by the fireplace and appreciating such moments of quiet grace as the stuff of which life is made. Upon reading more on the Marley's Mutts website, I learned that (1) Zach, like me, was rescued by dogs and their ability to usher in spiritual guidance in his darkest hour of need; (2) that Zach's darkest hour, like my Mom's (and thus mine) involved drug and/or alcohol related liver disease; and that (3) like me, Zach's mission in life now is to pay forward the healing he has been gifted, by way of bringing together rescue dogs and people in need of help, for healing interaction.

I felt immediately compelled to reach out to Zach, to let him know that he and I shared distinctly similar visions for our work with dogs and people. And within a few minutes of our first phone conversation, we had made plans to meet in person and discuss what already felt like great potential for partnership and growth.

The second weekend in April, I drove the six hours to Zach's place in Bear Valley Springs (an hour into the foothills from Bakersfield), and we spent an awesome weekend brainstorming and daydreaming about the exciting future of Marley's mutts. It is to be a collaboration of our two minds and hearts - an extremely powerful combination, and a collective force I have no doubt will move mountains. I sent Zach a copy of my book the following week.

Click here to learn more about Marley's Mutts:
http://marleysmutts.com/

As with meeting Cesar Millan and Jane Goodall, meeting Zach counts as a profound "coming of age" for my professional and personal evolution. Securing a JOB relevant to my canine studies degree directly out of my schooling at Bergin U., is a feat by itself. Creating a professional partnership with a kindred spirit, who gets who I am with depth and ease simultaneously, and with whom I can construct a dream that's simply too big for one to build alone, is nothing short of a miracle.

The last week in April, (and the last week of school), I sat with my brilliant professor, the iconic Dr. Bonnie Bergin - creator of the service dog for people with mobility impairments - and handed her a copy of my book, too. I am beyond blessed to have spent the last year learning directly from Bonnie. In the inside cover of my spiral notebook is the first note I took in class on my first day at Bergin U. It is a quote from Bonnie that says, "You can change the world, and it's very simple." I've held on to that - tightly - and Bonnie (along with my other teachers, human and canine alike) has given me the skills and the faith necessary to feel I can truly do so.

Somewhere in the midst of all the aforementioned "book giving", I also procured a relationship with a wonderful woman named Laura Sylvester, who has an autistic son, and runs an organization out of Oceanside, CA, called Good Dog Autism Companions. Laura is next on my list of book recipients. In the meantime, I am going to be working for Good Dog, soon to begin raising a brand new puppy (until the age of nine to twelve months), and training it to be a service dog for a seven year old boy with autism. I will bring the pup with me to Tehachapi, where I will train him or her alongside the shelter dogs Zach and I will rescue, rehabilitate, and help to become social therapy dogs, helping people and spreading happiness in the community.

Click here to learn more about Good Dog: http://www.gooddogautismcompanions.org/

I have worked so hard - for so many years and through so much fear, self-doubt and struggle - to reach these life- and career affirming milestones. I thank God for every challenge, as each has been a critical building block upon which solid opportunities now stand. Upon this foundation, I will pay forward my blessings in the form of service to others, human and animal alike.

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I am coming back to this post over a year later. The amount of awesomeness that has unfolded is astronomical...too much to catalogue here all at once. I did have the opportunity to meet Cesar Millan again, and my efforts to get him involved with my Master's project - the fitness assistance dog - continue.