This is my first blog post and I’d like you to get to know me better.  Some of you have known me for a long time and some just a short while.

Let me begin with a story about the Golden Buddha.

Many centuries ago, a Thai monastery housed an immense and beautiful golden statue of Buddha. After news of an invasion by the Burmese army, however, the monks sought to protect the statue from thievery and destruction. They covered the Golden Buddha with 8-12 inches of plastered clay, hoping the warriors would have no desire to steal a seemingly worthless sculpture. The monks’ noble efforts worked, but they were slaughtered in the raid, leaving the secret of the statue to remain hidden for another two centuries.

In 1957, the monastery was relocating to make room for the construction of a new motorway. Its monks arranged for a crane to transport their “clay” Buddha. When the crane began to lift the statue, however, it was much heavier than anticipated—and it began to crack. During this process (and with the help of a little chiseling), the monks came to realize the layers of old, hardened clay were hiding a spectacular golden statue of infinite worth.  The statue now resides in the Temple of the Golden Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand.

This is my story, too.

I was raised as an Army brat, with a strict father.  I grew up being told that I was “too sensitive” and “too dramatic.”  He taught me not to cry. (Add a layer of clay.)

When I was 22, I joined the Navy and spent the next four years continuing to follow rules, believing that something was damaged in me, always looking outside myself for the person, place or thing that would “fix” me.  (More layers…)

As if that weren’t enough patriarchy, I then became a legal secretary, continuing the left-brain, no feelings momentum.  (By this time, I’d forgotten I even had layers of clay, let alone a beautiful Golden Buddha inside.)

In 2006, when my Mother passed, I felt a strong pull towards Spirituality, knowing I couldn’t continue to live my life the way I had been.  Since then, I’ve discovered that the traits I had been told were “too much” were really gifts that been covered by society’s “clay.” I’ve spent the last few years chipping away at the terra cotta covering my own inner Golden Buddha.  Wow!  What a ride.

What about you?  What “Golden Buddha” are you hiding under layers of society’s clay?  What brilliance are you keeping hidden because someone (a parent, teacher, friend) didn’t want to see it?

Why I do what I do

My passion is to help people discover their inner Golden Buddhas, to help validate the feelings they haven’t felt safe to feel.  I do this through Animal Communication because I feel animals are great teachers and have so much to share with us.  I think sometimes things are easier to hear if they come from a beloved pet.

My work is more on the spiritual side, inviting you to discover what your pet is here to help you learn.  I can answer questions about health and behavior, but my gift is in asking deeper questions and getting transformative answers, all through the relationship with your pet.

I’d love for you to join me on this journey, whether it’s through an animal communication session or reading my blog.

I hope to have each blog post be like opening a surprise package.  You may find a nugget of inspiration, an oracle card reading, a fun fact about an animal, or a book or podcast recommendation.  It’s going to be an adventure for all of us!

Come join me and let’s discover magic and wonder!

If the Golden Buddha story resonates with you, I’d love to hear your comments below.