An Uncanny Dose of Four-Legged Wisdom

“What was your greatest takeaway?” Is a common question I’m asked after people finish reading my new book, Junkyard Girl: A Memoir of Ancestry, Family Secrets, and Second Chances.

At age 57, when you discover an explosive secret such as finding out you were adopted at birth, you either learn something sizable from the experience or you flounder under the weight of the trauma. Fortunately, I learned a lot from my DNA secret and the resulting journey. If I were to parboil it down to one takeaway, I’d say my biggest lesson was about letting go; a prime piece of wisdom I once learned from a dog named Rudy.

The Nose Knows

Many years before my rescue dog Grace came into my life, there was Rudy Fischer, a gorgeous chocolate brown lab and pit bull mix. Rudy had a very large, reddish nose that would meet my cheek if I asked him for a kiss. On a beautiful northern California day, we stopped to smell the eucalyptus trees lining the road. I turned to Rudy and with my most enthusiastic voice said, “Kiss!”

Fueled by powerful back legs, Rudy leaped towards me, but this time his nose missed my cheek. Instead, his large block head crashed into my face. My body tensed against the sharp pain flooding my head. But as I witnessed stars in broad daylight, a thought whispered, “Relax.”

If you’ve read Junkyard Girl, you know this little voice pops into my head from time to time, often with profound pieces of advice which on that day, I heeded. Instead of tightening my body and bracing against the pain, I exhaled deeply and told myself to let go. The pain did as it was told and soon faded.

Resilience is the Name of the Game

Letting go instead of holding on is a skill I’ve applied to other parts of my life – from skydiving to losing a loved one, and more recently, learning I was adopted at birth. When I first learned my origin story, I may not have shown it, but the revelation devastated me. It was only after I’d moved through the emotional undertow that I realized how tightly I’d been holding onto my identity as a daughter, a sister, a niece, and a cousin. When I learned the truth, this familial bond felt severed and I struggled to find my footing. Yet over time, the severance transformed into freedom; a freedom to choose my family and to embrace those I care about, whether or not blood connected them to me. It is a reality that has allowed me to open my arms wider than they ever have been before and to build my resilience.

Rudy Fischer is no longer with me. He passed away just a week before my adoption discovery. But his lesson about letting go remains firmly in my mind, a powerful reminder to release what no longer serves us, to breathe deeply and often, and when in doubt – follow your dog’s lead.

Stay healthy and stay pawsitive,

Carlyn MDO 💜

PS: Check out this amazing article about Junkyard Girl in the Santa Fe Reporter!

Literary Critic, Grace Fischer, says ….

If you are looking for a perfect holiday gift and what readers are calling, a beautifully written, heartfelt, and impossible to put down page turner – Junkyard Girl and all of my mom’s books are available online or can be ordered from bookstores everywhere for the holidays!

10% of the proceeds from all Carlyn’s books go to benefit animals in need!