Hello, Shame. You have been my companion for so long that I forgot that we can separate. I wore you tightly every day, like armor or a second skin. I don't remember exactly when I first met you, but I know that when I sat on the pew bench, my feet dangled above the floor. I waited on the bench to be called into the large wooden boxed room of confession. I sat in anticipation with a leaden weight in my belly and racked my small brain to think of what my sins were for the week. I would say...

My journey with Animal Reiki was at first, a self-serving one. As a young child the only present I wanted every birthday and every Christmas was a dog. It didn't have to be a puppy or any certain breed. I begged my parents and begged them until I cried, hoping that they would give in. They did not. I settled for stuffed dogs for years but kept the inner knowing that I was meant to be in the company of animals. As life happened, I built a great career working with humans in both community...

For most of my life, I thought I was just too sensitive. Too emotional. Too reactive. Too much. Or maybe not enough: not disciplined...