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Love of A Pet Has A Powerful Healing Effect
- Joni Darc Shepherd
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Welcome to Healing From Within I am your host Sheryl Glick author of A New Life Awaits Spirit Guided Insights to Support Global Awakening which shares the challenges of 2020 as we awaken to the soul potential within that can heal illness promote loving relationships with all living beings and guide us to improve the quality of life by being open hearted and aware of our interconnectedness to others. I am delighted to welcome Joni darc Shepherd author of Rio A Love Story who discovered that love is the light and force that makes life miraculous.
As listeners of “Healing From Within” are well aware Sheryl and her guests share intimidate stories often of challenges that could have broken our spirit, but when confronted and investigated from an inner source of soul wisdom, actually helped us grow and thrive going beyond sadness and dysfunction, to the joy of creating life in a wondrous and enjoyable way. As we study the dual nature of life, energetic and physical, we come to know that emotions and feelings are the real reasons we have chosen a physical life in the first place. To move from feelings often from the most negative to the most positive and loving, becomes a skill we can develop with self-investigation and awareness or higher consciousness of how life actually works.
In today’s episode of Healing From Within Joni will share her own experiences with heartbreak loss and tragedy and how she was overcome and lost in darkness and depression. She needed a miracle and miracles arrive in many ways when we allow and accept life to unfold as it will. Her new canine friend Rio enticed her into the light of day and to pursue new activities with him. We will find out how this precious friend helped Joni create her best life.
When Joni is asked to think back to her childhood and remember a person place or event that may have shown her the interests and lifestyle she might like to pursue as an adult she quickly remembers her loving family and her sister Patti who had two dogs while she had none. She did love those dogs.
We fast forward to perhaps a night of the soul or difficult challenges that made life hard for Joni at some point, Joni writes, “My life was in chaos. I was overwhelmed stressed ached painfully from losing my only sister Pat a few months ago to a long horrible battle with brain cancer, Aunt Jane to pneumonia last month and now my beloved dog, Marly from his silent battle with stomach cancer. My full time job was very demanding and when Pat’s health had declined I had become Mom’s primary health care. I was physically and mentally drained. Mom my partner Joe, and Marly had kept me going through the tough times. Then Marly literally took his last breath and died in my arms.
Mom was emotionally devastated from the loss of her daughter Pat and then Aunt Jane and now Marly. We were always a family who enjoyed caring for dogs. Mom took care of Pats favorite pals, Bijou and Australian Shepherd and Gibran a small All -American dog and it helped her deal with the loss of her loved ones.
When we decided to get we created a checklist of the traits we wanted in our next canine companion. We preferred a large dog who did not drool much and one who we considered beautiful. We decided on a Belgian Tervuren as we read they were intelligent loyal and elegant and stunning. We were directed by The American Belgian Club to Kate and Jeff from Connecticut who had a litter of Tervuren puppies. We picked the happiest active and most rambunctious one of all. Shaolin our other dog loved him.
Quote from Joni “There is nothing like the magic and unconditional love that a dog brings into your life.”
Joni tells us how Rio come into the families life and what qualities this pet exhibited that were unique and special for her.
Joni tells us that when your dog passes away the best thing most people can do is to get another one right way either a puppy or an older dog because the dog will distract you keeping you busy as you both learn about each other. We returned to where we had gotten Marly 13 years earlier. They weren’t planning a litter but they had a one year old handsome male Zane Grey. When we met Zane he seemed to like everyone but showed no interest in us. Kate told us he would certainly warm us to you but there is one condition, ”If you take Zane you must show him in the conformation ring.” Not knowing what a conformation ring was she said you can take some conformation lessons.
Little did Joni know Zane and she were embarking on a life-changing adventure, a magical journey she would always treasure. Zane would change life in ways she could never imagine and he would do the same for me. Zane was a unique name but I couldn’t get used to it so I changed the name to Rio. His name prompted me to think of Rio de Janeiro and a river perhaps leading to many new journeys. Shaolin our older rescue dog accepted Rio and while Rio was young and feisty, Shamon was very much the opposite and was slowing down considerably. In just a year he passed.
Rio diagnosed Joni’s malady and started the healing process. Dogs are indeed very spiritual beings and are in the right families for the right reasons. Rio felt the sadness or depression Joni might have been suffering and wanted to help her find joy again. Joni tells us that it was about this time after the passing of Mom and my recognizing the need for change in my life that I notice Rio had been nudging my arm with his nose a lot and putting his paws on me more and more. He was persistent in getting my attention. In retrospect he was taking responsibility for me and telling me Time to move on..we are here and now so let’s enjoy life. Then Joni had a revelation. I found my own form of alternative medicine to help me on my path forward…That alternative medicine came in the form of a very special spirit Rio who added a much needed spark to my life and brought me new opportunities galore. Rio started staring at me more frequently as if he wanted to communicate with me. I had never been so close to a dog or any animal before.
Joni began to pursue new activities with Rio. These included showing in the conformation ring and trialing in rally and herding and other dog sports. The training practice and competition of these activities coupled with meeting new friends in training and at the shows were just what Joni needed and her cloud of darkness and loneliness started to dissipate.
When searching the Internet to learn what a conformation show was Jpni found the American Kennel club site and learned that confirmation is the official name for a dog show. At these shows dogs are evaluated by a judge as to how closely they conform to their breed’s standard. Those dogs who are closer to their breed standard will most likely produce puppies who continue to meet the breed standards. Rio very much matched the standards of the Belgium Tervuren breed. He was proud lively masculine and alert as well as having an abundance of energy and lived vivaciously ibn the “now” moment. Many times Rio made up his mind to do something and despite our earnest efforts to the contrary he just did what he wanted.
Sheryl says that she never had a dog growing up or when her children were growing up, but her daughter finally gave in to her husband and four daughter’s constant requests to have a dog and they went to a person like Joni had who had a litter and they picked the only boy in the litter of six. His name is Rocky and his mother is a Yorkie poo poodle and father a beagle cavalier. Rocky is mischievous like Rio and marches to his own path and knows his own mind. He really appreciates Sheryl as she really just love him and doesn’t expect him to do tricks or obey. She allows him space to be himself as it is wise to do with people and pets. Too much control stifles the soul nature of his being. When Rocky was so tiny as an empath Sheryl sensed that there was anxiety in his solar plexis and used Reiki energy healing to help him. Rocky lifted his eyes as if a bolt of lightning had hit him and then became calm and peaceful. The next time Sheryl came to the house and offered him Reiki Rpcky bowed his head. So beautiful to share a spiritual connection as dogs indeed share a special bond with the people and family they eventually join and they sense and feel deeply and only want to assist and offer unconditional love.
Getting back to the evening conformation lessons that you promised the breeder you would do if you took Zane who became Rio you went to St. Huberts classes and Stacey our teacher was such a cheerful encouraging and supportive person. Stacey guided us with great skill and care.
This was the routine
- “Take all your dogs around once”
- “Now line up your dogs”
- “Stack your dogs”
- “First dog up for examination here.”
- “Out and Back”
- “Take your dog around once.”
One by one we went through the show routine. I learned about the rules of the show ring, including the proper etiquette to be followed and about gaiting—moving around the show ring with your dog at the most appropriate speed so as to show your dog in the best position. This is when judges appraise your dog’s movement. Add to that stacking standing for examination and many different ways to exhibit Rio. I learned a lot about grooming and once we started showing, I would learn about patience and humility. Clearly dog showing can be very expensive as well as competitive and a lot may be at stake. But as I learned there are magical times when owner handlers with beautiful dogs do win over popular Champions handled by professional handlers. Rio had a grand time at the shows.
Sheryl says I often have great coincidences or synchronicity with my guests and Stacey is my daughter who finally got her dog Rocky so she and I could both have the experience of learning about the devotion and love most dogs share with their families.
Joni tells us about her sister Pat who passed and who she dearly love and Pat’s earlier challenges and illnesses. Pat was a gorgeous blonde very graceful teenage girl and a Barbizon model trainee In her late teens she started dating George tall dark and handsome and very kind. George went to Vietnam and returned damaged. Our brother William due to a football hip injury was not able to serve. Soon afterwards Pat’s illness began the first of them manic depression. At times Pat was so upset she would not come out of her room for days except to get food. The doctors failed to diagnose it and no one knew much about depression and her mood swings continued. Pat followed in the footsteps of our Dad with her artistic talent.
Dad passed away unexpectedly on Pat’s birthday and she took it very hard as he was her best pal . Several months after Dad’s passing Pad developed muscle pains and was not feeling quite right. After many doctor visits she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Over time she lost feeling in her arms and legs and developed a lip and sometimes lost her balance. She continued taking care of her dog Lee. A German Shepherd who helped her with many daily chores. We all helped Pat and our mom as she adjusted to life without Dad. Pat continued to decline and finally collapsed. It was discovered she did not have MS but an advanced brain tumor. Pat was fifty eight years old.
Joni writes ‘I found myself very sad after the passing of my sister Pat and Mom and aunt and was broken hearted and did not want to go on. I thought of how tumultuous life had been and understood now what people meant after someone died and they said, “They are at rest now.” Pat and Mom were resting after terrible bouts with cancer. For fleeting moments, I wondered if what I was going through was depression. This may have been depression but I did not for a moment consider seeing a doctor or therapist. I believed a doctor visit would only result in a drug prescription and would not address the cause of my problem. What I was feeling was not something drugs would heal. I needed and wanted to heal from within and not mask whatever it was. I did not want to take drugs and get hooked on them or experience side effects that seem to happen to most people especially those prescribed opioid drugs. I thought the might be some kind of alternative medicine that could benefit me.”
Sheryl asks Joni Did you find alternative modalities that helped you?
Sheryl says to Joni that all the trauma and illnesses you helped your family deal with is perhaps the way all families find their way pass suffering to the light or truth of our spiritual essence and a clearer understanding of the virtues and joys of a physical life Sheryl also lost her sister sister mother and aunt through cancer and her Dad through heart disease
The names George and William have a synchronistic meaning to Sheryl as in her new book A New Life Awaits Spirit Guided Insights to Support Global Awakening in the Epilogue Sheryl shares a channeled message from President George Washington that as a medium she asked to receive in order to understand what he and others in Spirit hope for us to know in these unprecedented times and how to help our troubled nation. Find that on Sheryl’s website www.sherylglick.com on the book page
Also William was my grandfather who over 27 years ago visited me in a dream telling me Sheryl she had to write something for her father and the next day received a call that her father had passed. Sheryl wrote his eulogy and began to search for a logical answer to what happened and found along the way that she was an energy healer and medium and has been dedicated to sharing the truth of our eternal soul nature in the three books she has written. Life Is No Coincidence :The Life and Afterlife Connection and The Living Spirit Everyday as Sheryl encounters new people trying to figure out how to live well with so much suffering sadness disease and loss she shares a smile and hope of appreciation for the life we have no matter how challenging. Sheryl’s son is Gregg William named for her grandfather. Sheryl suggest Joni suffered the night of the soul sadness and trauma that led Joni to write, “ I needed to get out into the world and look for self-fulfillment and new opportunities because they were not going to find me. I needed to discover what I was meant to be doing. I did a lot of reading and understand to attain anything good I needed to focus on good positive thoughts and with that good positive energy would come.”
Joni might like readers to take away with them after reading Rio- A Love Story that the events people and experiences we have enable us to brow more in compassion and awareness of who we are as spiritual beings having a physical life who can practice faith and find faithful companions most especially pets who offer so much love.
Joni continued to sign up for more shows with Rio despite the fact we were not winning. She thought of her Mom and how she knew how much showing Rio meant to me. She had been sad that we were not winning in the conformation ring. One of the things Mom advised me to do before she passed away was to give up with the dog-show thing. But Mom I thought, we just cannot stop now. I believed the odds were in our favor that Rio would start winning soon.
Sheryl remembers when she took her daughter into the city many years ago on auditions for television commercials month after month her family urged her to stop but Stacey my daughter declined saying she was going to do this. Every time she went in for an audition they asked her “What have you done and she said Nothing yet!” Just when Sheryl was getting ready to stop she booked her first two commercials Thomas English Muffins and Maxim coffee She went on to do film theatre voice overs and a television soap opera…the message here is” Never give up.” If you give it time consistency and keep improving your skills nothing is out of reach.
Sheryl thanks Joni darc Shepherd author of Rio A Love Story for sharing a story of a loving family and their love of animals as Joninavigated her life always looking for courage and hope to accept all life’s challenges and ultimately learning we are never alone. Rio was a source of great joy and led her to experience many aspects of life that were soul building. In summarizing today’s episode of Healing From Within it may become apparent that the events in our lives are not random and there is a time and place for us to discover new friends that often lead us to new events interests and love. In Joni’s story Rio was the right pet at the right time who brought a quality to life that encouraged great personal growth.
Joni wrote, “As we spent more time together Rio and I became event closer and accepted each other as we are. In fact we became inseparable. There came a point when I realized that Rio had claimed me as all his. He began following me everywhere around the house, watching my every move, and listening to every word I spoke as if he understood each one. Joe began calling Rio my shadow, and both of us twins, not always with approval, but rather with a bit of jealousy. I thought Rio and I were becoming more like soul mates. I did not realize it at the time, but Rio had become my strength and someone I could rely on who was always there for me. And Rio knew it,”
Joni and I would have you know that whether it is a pet, a family relative, or friend, it is the most human and divine objective to be interconnected to others and to life, and a great gift to know intimately you are always valued and never alone. Be open to building loving relationships with all who come into your life, as it is not random and you are growing spiritually and emotionally stronger by these connections.
