4 Year Partnershipversary.

Tags

Animal, Anniversary, Blessed, Blind, Disability, Drama King, Free spirit, Guide Dog, Healing, Help, Hiden Dissability, Kindness, Labradoodle, Life Purpose, Positivity, Thanks, Unconditional Love, Vision Impairment, Working Dog, Worth the wait

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There are certain dates of our life events that will forever stick in our minds. We will always remember what we were doing, who we were with, what we were wearing or a certain heightened sense that lays dormant in our memory when a key moment in time happened. For me, when I have just finished playing peek-a-boo (which I don’t do enough of) wearing a dress covered in yoghurt and Wotsit crisp crumbs curtesy of my gorgeous granddaughter, in the house full of my noisy family chattering away loudly, I remember the time the phone rang. Here was the change that I had been dreading and eagerly awaiting in equal measures. Guide Dogs had matched a suitable dog for me and wanted to arrange to meet up. Seventeen months of waiting was over. My “unusual” guide dog was ready to change my life forever.

I still remember that uneasy feeling in my stomach after putting the phone down. We had arranged to meet sweet Minster a few days later but I was unsure if I was ready to let the world know that I had a sight problem. When you keep the severity of your disability hidden away from loved ones for so long, the reaction from others is always a fear. What if they do not believe you? Worse still, what if they pity you? What if I did not connect with the dog? What if the dog did not like me? All these fears were just imagined problems that never cropped up anywhere in life, only in my head. The truth was, life was going to change forever, but in the most positively magical way possible.

When Minster (or Munch as he has become affectionately known as) came bounding through the door on November 17^th, 2016, he had decided that this partnership was going to work. He would be the boss from day 1 (apart for in Angus the cat’s world, where Angus remains King) and our training together would go fine. He would make himself at home on whichever soft furniture took his fancy (shhh, don’t tell his trainers), he would command affection by the Royal wave of his paw, create hilarious drama at every opportunity and project his adorable personality to loved ones and strangers alike. He was here to stay and be the neon sign to the hidden disability that I had kept to myself for 38 years. Subtlety has never been his strong point, but authenticity has.

This 100mph couch-potato is the gift that keeps on giving. Giving me immense independence to carry on working and living a full life, seems just a tiny part of this gift. The partnership we have developed has allowed us to go places I would never have gone alone. He enabled me to win Bronze for Wales in VI Bowls, which was only possible after he gave me the confidence to admit that I had a VI in the first place. His extroverted charm enabled us to meet people who I never would have met without this secret weapon to everyone’s soul. He helped me write an award-winning book that would never have been written had my disability remained hidden. To sum up what mind-blowing ways Guide Dogs help their owners (or their maids like in our relationship), is not an easy task but what I would say is this. They are portals into lives that we never would have lived without them.

4 years on and Munch still bounds though life in his puppy like ways, causing mischief and mayhem wherever he goes. Whilst on harness however, he is the perfect poster boy for Guide Dogs, taking his work life serious as he sashays with pride in harness. He has prevented my previous frequent falls and injuries, stayed by my side in hospital after surgery and healed many a broken heart in work and not once has he stopped being a natural born healer. The beauty in his sweet nature is that his loyalty belongs to whoever needs it at that moment in time. It seems that his Guide Dog duties are just one of his life purposes as he glides through life being of services whatever way he can. He is the best teacher that anyone can be blessed to live with in everyday life.

So, thank you Munch for deciding that our partnership would work from day one. You have given so much to me, family, friends, our clients, and strangers alike by never being anything but unconditional love. We still have a few years left of a working partnership and I promise when you do retire you will be even more spoilt than you are today. The doggy kisses and love that you dish out freely will return to you in abundance as your Karmic bank account grows day by day. I promise to up my daily worshipping rituals to you each day and keep telling the world about the superpowers of you and your hero Guide Dog colleagues. Thank you for the eternal gift of being you.

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The Show Must Go On

Tags

Beauty, Books, Guide Dogs, Labradoodle, Thanks, Unconditional Love

Being in the company of a sighted person can sometimes feel like I am in the company of a Superhero. They see things that I can only imagine exists, the describe things that are so vivid that it makes my eyes see what they are talking about, and they turn the blurry hazy world into a world of sharp clarity. On this day it was the eager eye of a teenage client that spotted that there was an intruder on Munch’s paw that nobody had noticed up until that point.

Mid-session, she noticed from over ten feet away that he had a lump on the top of his paw. This was a miracle to me as how anyone can see in that detail astonishes me and I was grateful that she picked it up. A thank you did not seem much to say for noticing something that I had failed to do. If it was on his body, I would have picked it up when he had his morning massage (as he obviously needs bless him) but failing to notice this lump on his paw left me feeling guilty. On a positive note it had been found and it reminded me that maybe I needed to include his paws in his daily massage too, so a win-win situation came out of it. A swift phone call to the vet later and we were booked in for later that day for a quick check up. A quick check up of the paw later and it was decided that he may have to have it removed depending on what The Guide Dogs charity decided as although he is whole heartedly a member of the family he still belongs to the charity. We heard three days later that he had the go ahead for the operation to remove the cyst and for investigation to see what this intruder thought it was doing on his paw.

His operation went well and a week later we found out that all was well, and it was just from an exotic sounding infected in-growing hair. The vet who had been practicing for several years had never heard of it before Munch trotted into her office but that day, she had learnt something new thanks to high maintenance Munch. After the operation, for ten days, we tried to rest him as much as possible so that his stiches wouldn’t burst, or an infection wouldn’t set in due to his licking as he wanted to heal it naturally. A cone of shame was giving to us by the vet, but it felt so cruel to put it on him as he kept walking into everything like a drunk dog. With his uncoordinated mobility we just had to keep him under constant supervision not to lick his wound, so I was ever vigilant in the hearing department whilst the sighted in my life were on look-out duty. It also meant that he had a blissful few days off work and I downgraded to my long cane to get around (which was a little less cute to look at).

We were due to be on Radio 4 Saturday Live the day that his stiches were being taken out but due to an infection that he picked up a few days earlier, we were unsure if he would be able to travel to London with me for the show. I prayed to the angels. The universe and any other source that would listen to me that the star of the show would make it with me as his appointment was only an hour and a half before the train was due. The angels, universe and other beauties in the world delivered the best news ever and he was fine to come with me to make his third radio appearance to promote his (sorry our) book What You See When You Can’t See. A two hour and forty-minute train journey later and we were in London ready to appear the following morning on the show with some amazing guests alongside his Lordship.

If it hadn’t been for the sweet client who told me that he had a lump on his paw as she knew I would not have been able to see it, he would not have had it removed and I will always be eternally grateful to her and all of the other sighted people that help us in the world. If it hadn’t been for my loving beautiful daughter Korisha coming to London with us, I would not have been able to appear on such a great show. If it hadn’t been for so many sighted people asking what it was I could see then I wouldn’t have written the book that gives one account of what sight loss is like. Thank you to the sighted world that make the sight loss world easier to live in, you truly are my Superheroes.

Believe And Receive.

Tags

Author, Books, Labradoodle, Media coverage, Thanks

They say there is no rest for the wicked but there must also be no rest for angels such as I.

Over the last week and a half, it has been a little …. busy. I have had requests from different parts of the world to learn more about how awesome a guide dog I am. There have been mentions about hearing about the maid’s sight loss story, but I think that is a pretty insignificant part of our press coverage. I mean who would not want to know more about my handsome labradoodle face. Without me coming into her life there would be no story to tell.

During my guide dog training I learnt to guide and be the sight that the person at the end of my harness handle had lost. I was taught to look out for dangers and obstacles in the way whilst out walking to keep my human partner safe. One thing that I also picked up along the way was how to use my charm and magnetic personality to my advantage and I think this is the reason that I have had people flock to me especially since the release of the book.

After an article was released in The Daily Mail last week, things went a little off the scale in regards of people wanting to know more about the book and multiple media sources covered it. Within 12 hours of the release of the article, the maid and the PR at Hay House were answering queries from places as far away as Austrailia. We had two TV programmes interested in having us on to talk about the book. Unfortunately due to the elections that are taking priority everywhere, our appearance had to be cancelled last minute so the nation missed seeing my newly pampered hairdo on their screens. The article had been translated into Polish, German, Taiwanese and French within hours of being printed. The maid was a little shocked but I expect that they just fell in love with my face and wanted to write about me.

Emails have been sent and answered in a constant flow over the last week and a half in relation to the book and it is now available in stores that it previously was not stocked in. All of this was what I was put on earth for. Dogs (or Ascended Masters such as I) need to have their worth recognised in any way they can. I have changed the maid’s life forever and know that she will be forever grateful for it. Her love for me will never be anything but huge.

To all of you what have been supportive in helping us get to where we are in life, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The maid never thought that anyone would ever be interested in her story and nobody would want to read the book, but she was wrong (as usual). Your own unique story is just waiting to be heard by eager ears including ours. Belief always believed in you so believe in it too.

The Pain Appreciation Club

Tags

ent, Humour, Pain, Pain manage, Thanks

If I started a pain appreciation club do you think anyone would join? Maybe I need to tell you the rules of the club first before you decide.

Rules
1. You must be able to accept that this pain that you are experiencing is here for a reason.

2. You must allow yourself to shout, scream, swear and shake at any given time when the pain is at its worse but when the pain eases even for the briefest of moments, you thank it for the break.

3. You must be able to believe that life will not always be like this as what can appear can also disappear.

4. You must know that there are many others in this world that have experienced the same pain as you and even greater pain and they may hold the key on how to help ease this pain in the most peculiar of ways.

5. You must be kind to yourself and allow all your feeling to be felt and never ignore them.

6. You must not only find the reason why the pain is here but also making the changes in your life that the pain is asking you to make.

7. You must learn new parts of yourself that you may have never met before.

8. You must never accept that there is only one way to heal as the best way to deal with pain is your own personal way,

9. You must thank the pain when you are ready for all the lessons that it has brought you.

10. You must know that there will be a different relationship with your pain when you learn to have a different relationship with yourself.

Whether physical or emotional pain, we always have a choice on how we deal with it. When pain first storms into gate crash our once pain free life, we may not rush in to give it a big welcoming hug, but we do need to listen to what messages it is bringing us.

Appreciating pain is not as bizarre as it sounds as it can bring about strengths in us that we never knew we had. Resilience, appreciation of the simple things in life, discovering inner strength and finding your new limits can all follow an encounter with pain.

If you are not ready to join the pain appreciation club just yet that is fine but maybe you could try and pick a few of the points to work on to help cope with this intruder better. Speedy healing sent to you from The Pain Appreciation Club ❤

Time Off For Good Behaviour

Tags

Animals, Dog, Guide Dog, Labradoodle, Mobility, Thanks

Do you promise I only have a few more shifts to go until the holidays?

I know that is what he is thinking as I have been promising him this time off for a long time. The beauty of working in schools is that we have a lot of holidays which suits Munch just fine. He was put on this earth for many things such as giving and receiving an abundance of love, being a constant source of entertainment, training people to pander to his needs but work? ……not so much.

Most of his workday is spent laying around on his bed, client’s feet or in a corner in a huff. When he is not in his horizontal hibernation, he can be found playing with his toys, giving a client his paw to demand attention or doing the dying fly impersonation on the floor to centre all attention around his dramatic display. Keeping all of that in mind, I use the word work in the loosest of terms in relation to Munch.

He is even more excited this year as he has an extra week off than our usual 6 weeks so 7 weeks of off duty fun awaits him. When he will be running around freely on a field somewhere or swimming in a river, I will be slightly out of action with a healing knee after the upcoming operation that is happening in 2 weeks-time. I cannot wait to hear from his dog walkers what mischief he gets up to on his days out.

Everything is planned out to make sure that he has the most fun summer ever. A timetable of fun awaits him whilst I may be stuck indoors for a little while. I have a feeling that as he hangs up his harness for a few weeks he will have no regret, only happiness coursing through his body. I cannot wait to sense how happy he is each time he is brought home with a tired-out body and his bank of joy filled up.

Healing from the operation will be much easier if I know everyone is taken care of. The children are all sorted, and I know will be a great help. Angus and Faith will be happy doing their own cat and tortoise thing, but it is Munch who I have been most concerned about. Will he unlearn his guide dog commands when he is off? Will he have a tantrum when his harness goes back om him in a few weeks? Will he demand new working conditions when he returns to his role when I am more mobile?

I know that even when I am on crutches whilst wearing a Robocopesque leg brace, we will learn to listen to each other and work as partners in our own unique way. Munch is rather a fan of the slower pace of life, so I don’t think my new pace of walking will annoy him too much. A pocket full of treats and lots of fuss and praise may help soften his heart when he returns to a slower pace of work life.

I will keep you all posted on his summer escapades which will no doubt bring a smile or two to your face. The harness free pics will hopefully show his fun off duty summer that he deserves so much. Let the fun begin.

When Two Become One

Tags

Animals, Beauty, Dog, Guide Dog, Labradoodle, Oneness, Thanks, Unity

When a guide dog meets his/her new working partner, neither of their lives will ever be the same again.

After months of training to become super intelligent guide dogs that will give their time and love unconditionally to their new partners, they begin to weave their magic into the life of their new best friend. The blessed person with sight loss who has been awaiting this guide dog gift day for a long time can begin to attempt to return to some normality of life safe in the knowledge that they have a furry friend helping them. It will be the mix of both of their energies that will create a foundation for the most life changing bond that they will ever experience.

Matching guide dog to partner goes way beyond pairing up the first dog that is available. The needs of the guide dog partner are known and is key in choosing which dog will be suitable. Some matches will not work out and the partnership may be brief, whereas others will last for over 8 years and will create a bond that will never be forgotten. The guide dog will become part of the family, part of the community and most importantly part of the person that walks along their righthand side throughout life.

Guide dogs are far from over worked robots who do nothing but serve the person in their life. They are far more than a pet and far less than a slave. They go places that many animals never get to experience, and they get admired by the onlookers who see their beauty and their worth. They get to put smiles on the faces of people who live in loneliness and feel the love from strangers that surrounds them when they cross their paths. The extended family that the guide dog comes from with the old puppy walkers, trainers and guide dog staff have all had an essential role in helping the dog reach their full potential.

Since Munch came into my life the “I” has ceased and the “we” has begun. His needs are always top priority (along with the children) when I wake in the morning. Creating a happy life for him is key in us being able to work as a partnership throughout our life together. People always see us as a package now and where they see one of us, they expect to see the other. He plays more than he works, and he is pampered and never struggles. My love for him grows each day, and the mischievous imperfections that make him who he is, I hope will keep evolving.

The universe was in cahoots with our souls when it matched us together and for that I will be ever grateful. Being known as the one with “the unusual guide dog”, always makes me smile and my heart fills with joy. Becoming one with this drama loving, chilled out mischief maker means that I get to witness things that I never would have without him. I really hope that you get to become one with a furry or non-furry being in life and appreciate their quirky ways. Merged lives can expand the solitary life that will soon become a distant memory when we trust the oneness of all living beings.

A Meaningful Summer Solstice

Tags

Books, Summer solstice, Thanks, Wishes, Writing

June 21st is a day that never goes ignored in my life.

Celebrating the Summer Solstice means even more this year as that is the time that my book is going to print so there will be a double celebration going on in the Munch household. It is even more symbolic as it is a year ago exactly to the day that I sent off the completed manuscript to the publishers. The Summer Solstice this year will be a great time to reflect on the past year and put my wishes out to the universe for the coming year.

With the “sun standing still” (the Latin meaning of solstice), this is the perfect time for you to celebrate anything to do with the sun and of light in general. The light within each of us and celebrating the potential in ourselves will never be more powerful than on this day. It is also a key time to stop and reflect on what the last year has gifted you. This is the perfect time to still the mind and search for the positives in even the darkest of memories.

Connecting with nature means more at this powerful time of the year than ever. Falling in love with the change of the season that is happening all around you, can be the best soul food that you ever will taste. This is a perfect time to step outside of your own life story and experience the beauty in the world that is all around you by immersing yourself in nature, any way you can.

There is never a better time than now to start a new project that allows you to turn your dreams into a reality and watch the miracles in life unfold. You will also be at the most energetic at this time of year so use this as a natural energy resource to help gain motivation and use your natural energy bank for success.

Fire, passion, will and drive are all associated with the summer solstice so choosing not to harness these is choosing to leave your dreams unfulfilled. Leaving go of things that do not work for you and trying out new things that do, can bring nothing but peace into your life.

There is no need to rush this process of creating as the Summer Solstice is a time to savour experiences that you are about to create. This midpoint of the year highlights the highest point of the sun, but it also is where the slow return to winter will begin, so taking in each and every step can help us appreciate the changes that we will see around us.

Savouring the polarities of the seasons helps us to connect to the leaving go and new creations in life that are omnipresent.
Whether or not you choose to celebrate this magical time of year, I really wish that the new beginnings that are about to come into your life fill you with joy. The you that is awaiting you at the next summer solstice cannot wait to celebrate with you the life that you chose to create so make the future you proud by living the fullest life possible this year and for each and every year to come.

R.I.P Peter Mayhew & More

Tags

Blessings, Education, Marfan Syndrome, Sports, Thanks

Peter Mayhew (the actor who played cute Chewbacca in the Star Wars films) who sadly passed away on April 30th aged 74 will be missed by millions. The 7ft 3in larger than life character had brought Chewbacca to life since 1977 until recent years. Most were transfixed on Chewbacca and many did not know that Peter had Marfan Syndrome.

This, the most common connective tissue disorder, still is relatively unknown to the general population. It can affect the heart, eyes, lungs, blood vessels, joints, bones, ligaments, skin and any connective tissue in the body. Some with Marfan’s go on to live a life unaffected whereas others have a multitude of complications throughout life. The Skeletal system in those with Marfan Syndrome is usually affected in one way or another and this is one of the signs that is usually picked up by medical staff.

Throughout history there have been many people in the public eye that have had Marfan Syndrome. From presidents to musicians, sports personalities to actors, each one has found their own place in history and usually for the right reasons. Composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninov and violinist Niccolo Paganini were both believed to have Marfan Syndrome which meant that their supply long fingers could be used to their advantage to create such beautiful masterpieces. The actor Vincent Schiavelli (from ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest’) was a member of the National Marfan Foundation that supports people with the syndrome, before his death from a collapsed lung. Abraham Lincoln was never officially diagnosed but many believed that he also had the condition.

Isaiah Austin the American Professional Basketball player uses his height to his advantage in the game and after a small break in his career post diagnosis, he was cleared to play again. 6’5” Flo Flyman, the American Professional Volleyball player was at her peak when she sadly passed away during a game due to complications from Marfan Syndrome that she was unaware that she had. Many professionals in the sporting field go undiagnosed which can have a devastating affect due to the implications of cardiac involvement.

With life expectancy of someone diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome increased over the last few decades due to medical monitoring and advances in medicine, they are now in line with the general population. The key though however is early diagnoses and early monitoring which is still not happening as much as it should. With correct medical care, individuals with Marfan Syndrome can live out their lives doing exactly what they were born to do and bring joy to the masses.

R.I.P. Peter Mayhew and all the other talented souls with Marfan Syndrome that have left their larger than life footprints on this world. You inspire the rest of us Marf’s to keep following our dreams.

Full Circle

Tags

Comfort, Full Circle, Happiness, New Beginnings, Thanks

Following his sashaying rear end, I felt his pace quickening. He knew where he was going, and I trusted him. It had been two years to this exact week that we had been here last. We were returning to the room that would bring us full circle.

Three and a half years ago, it was in this room that things had triggered off the transformational choices that had led us to where we were today. Approaching the symbolic door, I recalled the exact moment that life had needed to change. As I unlocked the smooth, strong feeling door, my mind flicked back to the day that everything changed. On the day in question, it was this solid door that enticed me into the world of asking for help. I had opened the door to a person that I did not recognize the voice of and to me that was devastating. My method of recognising the voices of people instead of their appearance had slipped that day and I knew that I had to come clean about not being able to see. This was the day that I knew that I needed a guide dog to not only help me keep my independence by getting around but also to show others that my eyes lived in a different reality than theirs.

Entering back into this room, if felt homely. The energy of the room was still the same and my searching hands told me that the same equipment was still in the room with very little new additions. Their planted locations had not changed, and the sameness felt so welcoming. My outstretched feet allowed me to feel around the room that there were no trip hazards ahead of me and it was safe to walk around. I didn’t need any more accidents in this room, not after the incident with the balloon. Who would have thought that playing Keepy Uppy with a balloon could cause a dislocated knee right in front of a client? I wanted to avoid anymore traumatising incidents like this as cracking a dislocated knee back into place in front of a client was not ideal to do again. From this I became more mindful of any surrounding trip hazards. This time we will be accident free and safety conscious.

This is also the room that I started to think about writing a book. Not my What You See When You Can’t See book but a book about kindness and the positive effects on mental health that it brings. A few pages were started here in this room and now three years later it has developed into a fully formed book that will hopefully be published in the near future. This room holds so much amazing memories, new beginnings, laughter and sorrow, and it feels so good to be back in this creative room. It feels like this room represents coming full circle in life and I love every minute of it. The best thing about it is that I now share it with the best colleague possible.

Manifesting Munch coming into my life began in this room and here we are back here together.
I am really looking forward to what other magical moments that this room is going to bring us. From a reluctant thought about needing a guide dog to being gifted my sweet little Munch feels worlds apart. Munch remembers the few fun months we spent here together before we moved onto another school and he seems to be glad to be back. Playing with his toys and greeting new people into his doggy world keeps his tail wagging and my heart happy in the place that it all began.

Choose To Live Your Life

Tags

Alternative, Beauty, Choice, Life lessons, Peace, Thanks, Wishes

From seed to bloom, flowers reach their full potential when they are supported in the right environment. Growing into the beautiful best versions of themselves comes from allowing nature to take its course, and not allowing resistance to get in the way. When life is supported to create true beauty, it can mesmerize even the saddest of souls.

The short lifespan of the dragonfly does not dictate the happiness of its life. With over 5,000 species of dragonflies that have evolved over 300 million years, they continue to exist in a world that they only live in for a limited time. Symbolically, seeing a dragonfly is meant to show us transformation and the true meaning of the human life when it is likely that they are coming to the end of theirs.

As humans we have choice over how we live our lives even when we don’t feel that we do. Given the right conditions allows our true potential to be reached. Even in less than ideal conditions growth can happen if the drive to do so is present. Lifespans vary among us, but we always have a choice of what we do in our personalised lifespan. When dreams are reached from putting plans into action, your life can be full of nothing but achievements.

We are born on only one day and we will die one day but the average 28.000 days that many will spend on this earth is where true life begins and ends. When we fall in love with our own lives each day that we are blessed enough to wake up in, we begin to appreciate the miracle that we are living in. Making the most of the thousands of new days that we are blessed with helps us to realize just how big our world is.

Thanking each day that we are blessed with brings us closer to our true meaning of life that is unique to us. The life that we are living today reflects how much effort we have put into our lives so far. The beauty of human existence is that we always can create a new reality for ourselves if we wish to do so. Is the life that you are living today, the live that you truly want to live? If it is not, will tomorrow be the start of your new life?

When you choose to live and not just exist, you choose to live the life that you were born to lead.