memoir

“I’m Fine Just the Way I Am” Receives Rio Award from Dog Writers Association of Amercia

Posted by Barbara Techel

Sunday night with a fire in the woodstove, an adult beverage in hand, and John sitting across from me on the sofa, we tuned in on Facebook live to watch as Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) announced the winners of the 2020 writing competition.

Since 1935 DWAA has been helping writers spread the word about all things dog. What’s not to love about that, right?

Every year they sponsor this competition to recognize the best essays, articles, blogs, websites, photos, and books, plus a new category this year from young writers.

I’m not sure if it was because of Covid and everyone had more time to write plus the fact many were home more with their pets, but the host, Carol Bryant shared that this year they received many more entries than usual.

I was honored when I received notice late last year that I was a nominee in two categories for my latest memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am:

Regular Category

Human/Animal Bond

Special Award Category

Rio Award – profiles a dog who changed someone’s life in a profoundly positive way sponsored by award-winning journalist, Jen Reeder and her husband, Bryan Fryklund in honor of their beloved Labrador retriever mix, Rio.

No matter what, I was honored to have been placed among the nominees. Though secret be told, my heart was really drawn to the Rio Award – I could just feel something deep and special about it and though I don’t know Jen and Bryan or their story with Rio, it just felt right at home in my heart and the impact dogs have had on my life.

So yes, truth be told, I was thinking how lovely it would be to win the Rio award. And just before they announced the winner of the award, my heart began to flutter, and when they announced my name, yup, I got very emotional and teary-eyed. I’m not ashamed to admit to that!  🙂

Writing I’m Fine Just the Way I Am was one of the hardest books I’d written to date in regards to sharing the shame I’d carried for most of my life that repeated often in my life in different circumstances. But it was Gidget, my dear, sweet, and wise Buddha dog who so lovingly walked beside me to help me heal.

And so it was beautiful to be recognized in this way.

After my name was announced I jumped up from my chair, ran to what I call my ‘wall of love’ with photos of all the dogs I’ve had to date in my life and photos of John and myself. I grabbed the photo of Gidget and said, “We did, Gidget! We did it!” and I kissed the photo of her.

The next morning lying in bed, I took a moment to connect with Gidget and thank her once again for all she was (and still is!) to me. In my heart, I saw myself rubbing her belly, and kissing the side of her face, both of which I could never get enough of doing when she was here on the physical plane.

A big congratulations to all the nominees and winners – and in the end – I’d say without a doubt in my mind that we are all winners for the opportunity to have the love of animals in our lives. 

XO

Barb

Happy News! My Memoir is a Finalist in Two Award Categories from Dog Writers Association of America

Posted by Barbara Techel

It was the beginning of the pandemic when I released my third memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am – Healing Emotional Pain through the Wisdom of Animals and Oracles. While I’d contemplated holding off on the release because I just didn’t know what to expect during a time of upheaval, I made the choice to just allow what was to be, to be.

A part of me felt strongly my story fit in with what we were experiencing as we moved deeper into the pandemic as we all tried to make sense of what was happening. 

As we are nearing the close of 2020 it has become clear to me that so much of this year has been about learning to tune into our own hearts and follow the guidance that feels right for us – despite what we may hear from the outside world, which has been conflicting on so many levels.

How often we fear the judgment or rejection of others and how many of us have felt unworthy. My memoir shares my journey of exploration, uncovering, and revealing the root cause of why I felt unworthy most of my life. It was my dear and wise dachshund, Gidget, that lovingly walked beside me, mirroring for me what I needed to look at and finally heal.

While it was a journey that was filled with emotional pain unlike any I’d felt before, and it was the unseen that felt so scary at times, it was also one that as I took the necessary steps to heal from within, that my path became lighter and gave me a sense of freedom and peace I’d not experienced before in my life.

My journey with Gidget was one I have bowed in deep gratitude for often this past year. I have no doubt what she and I went through is what prepared me for this past year (thank you sweet girl. I love you so much!) While I’ve had my moments of struggle and fear like so many, I’ve also been reminded many times with a nudge in my heart from Gidget, that I have a choice to struggle or embrace peace.

So Monday morning when I saw an email from Dog Writers Association of America and the fact my book is named as a finalist in two categories, I soon saw the words I was reading a blur as tears filled my eyes. After sharing the news with John, I walked into the living room.

On what I call my ‘wall of love,’ with photos of all my dogs and of John and I, I took a moment to stroke the photo of Gidget, letting her know the special news. I thanked her once again for all she brought to me while alive and continues to in spirit.

The two categories my book is a finalist in are: Human/Animal Bond category and a special award category sponsored by Jen Reeder and Bryan Fryklund in honor of their beloved Labrador retriever mix, Rio – the Rio award is for an article, book, or essay that profiles a dog who changed someone’s life in a profoundly positive way. 

No matter the outcome, I’m deeply honored to have been placed in these two categories as a finalist. Awards will be announced during a virtual ceremony on February 14, 2021.  Any positive vibes you’d like to put out into the universe for Gidget and me and our book would be most welcome and appreciated!

All my best to all my fellow animal writer finalists. The way I see it is that we are all winners because of the love and joy we are honored to experience from our animal friends!

xo,

Barbara

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Stacking Wood, Collage, and a Mind that Wanders Back to Center

Posted by Barbara Techel

While the wren image – a photograph I took – dried on the collage piece I worked on earlier this week, I decided to stack some wood – wood we use for our chiminea.

Stacking wood, just like creating the collage is like an art form, I think. When we first got our chiminea I would get upset if John hadn’t stacked wood and we’d have to take time out to gather it before we could build a fire. But then one day I decided I’d stack it myself, and keep it stacked, even though I wasn’t too crazy about the idea at first.

But now I’ve really come to enjoy it. It makes me think about how sometimes we grumble about household chores, which I can still be guilty of at times. But when I remind myself to do them with mindfulness or view it as an art form, it feels centering and also makes me feel a sense of accomplishment.

Fitting the pieces of wood together to get as much as I can on the stand, is somewhat like doing a collage too – keeping an eye out for how everything fits together.

As I worked some more on the collage after I was done stacking wood I had the movie Bridges of Madison County playing in the background. 

That scene where Francesca and her husband are in their truck and behind the truck of Robert Kincaid, at the stop sign, the rain pouring down, and Francesca puts her hand on the handle of the door, torn between whether to stay with her husband or run off with Robert, is palpable.

Each time it makes me think how sometimes the grass can seem greener on the other side. But how often it does not turn out that way. It brings me back to thinking about how when things were getting difficult with health challenges with Gidget two years before she passed and how I felt like I was missing out on so much in life. There were times, I too wanted to run.

But in the end, as I wrote about in my new memoir, it was a wake-up call to do the inner work I’d been called to do to come back to what really mattered to me – that was the path I was meant to take. Even though it wasn’t easy, and at times I felt torn, the more I stayed with what I was feeling, the more that yearning subsided.

Over a year later since she’s been gone, this is what continues to deepen in my gratitude for her – that the last year of her life was so beautiful as our relationship grew exponentially. I’m so glad I didn’t miss out on that as it remains with me as some of my most fond and meaningful memories.

Going through the pandemic of the virus this year has also been a reminder to me of how much I love my home, my gardens, my time with John, seeing wildlife outside my windows, fires in the chiminea, etc. How often it is that all we need is right here in front of us and within us.

These are the moments of a mind wandering that bring me back to the center of my heart that I’m grateful for.

xo,

Barbara