The other day I took my golden retriever Oliver to the dog park for a playdate with a friend’s new dog.  She had adopted Izzy from a local rescue who brings dogs up from Louisiana due to their high kill shelter rate.  Izzy is still a puppy, her past a mystery but she has scars to prove a rough beginning, a healed fractured pelvis.  She is a complete sweetie, high energy dog holding nothing back as she raced around chasing the bigger dogs.  She has no past in her mind, she is in the moment loving life and her new people. Another dog lesson to be absorbed by us humans…

On my way home, Oliver is sitting in the back looking out the passenger side window as we stopped at a light.  The car next to us is an older woman lost in thought suddenly she turns and gazes at Oliver and her whole face changed to one of hopefulness.  I rolled down Oliver’s window as she had rolled down hers, she looks at him and calls out- “Do you have a message for me from my Casey?” It is clear to me in that moment that Oliver has become a dog medium- he indulges her glances as I call out from the front- “Oh yes!” She smiles, the light changes and our days both have just gotten brighter, golden in fact.