I thought it would be a good idea to
get a second golden retriever to keep my first one,
Cindy, company. That's when I saw an ad for a golden
retriever rescue shelter. And they, in turn, referred me
to the Lochvier Kennels at Midland, Virginia. At the
time, I was not far from the kennel, maybe forty-five
minutes or so. And yes, there was a female golden
available. Would I like to see her? Yes! And off I went,
not realizing of course that I was entering a whole new
world, the bright and glorious world of Delphi.
I didn't pick Delphi, she picked me. She had been a show
dog but that type of life was not for her. At a year and
a half she was more than ready to do something else. The
only trouble was she had to find a way to let me know
what that "something" was and how much I was to be a
part of it.
It had never occurred to me that animals and people were
not all part of one family. I grew up with my springer
spaniel, Freckles, beside me. A bantam chicken by the
name of Snookie always had morning coffee with my
mother. Well, Snookie sipped cream out of the coffee cup
saucer. She would hop right up on mother's bed and wait
patiently for her cream to be served. What with cats and
dogs, horses and ponies, lambs and sheep, chickens of
all shapes and sizes, fancy pigeons, parakeets, turtles
and rabbits, how was I to know that humans were supposed
to be different from animals? I didn't!
Oh, I did not start right off hearing animals talk -- at
least I don't think so. If there was any kind of
language between us to begin with, I suppose it was the
language of love and high regard for one another. We
were friends.
Lately I have been aware of a sacred, silent language
between child and animal. I have watched small children
visiting Delphi and her brother Chipper. The loudest and
most boisterous child can sit with Delphi or walk beside
Chipper without a word being spoken -- yet they are
speaking words, I know. Words that I cannot hear nor
understand. Watching them as they communicate without
sound, I am struck by a world many adults have
eliminated from their consciousness. It is a world of
movement, of dancing secret codes that only the
childlike mind and pure animal heart can understand.
This book is really dedicated to that world and to all
of us -- young and old -- finding it.
When people ask me how to communicate with animals, I
say, "I open my heart wide and express love and respect
to them. Then I hear them." This was not a slow process
for me. It was sudden. And it can be sudden for you,
too, if you open your heart as I have done. All life is
in communication. It is just that humans have isolated
themselves from "the web of life."
To be in Delphi's presence is to be constantly amazed at
her intelligence, her gift of wisdom, her command of
energy. As far as I know, she has never been exposed to
the Navajo People; yet she sings us back into the Beauty
Way, an experience that is awesome to any and all who
are fortunate to take this path with her.
Delphi reaches out to all of us in a partnership of
animals and people. She tells us that we can heal our
earth and ourselves by remembering our connection with
one another. Many books have been written about
self-growth, self-actualization, and even self-self!
Delphi says that is not the point at all. We've missed
it entirely! She says, "We're all about love and how we
can work together as partners. It is through the heart,"
Delphi says, "that we can join with all life in the
coming of a bright new world."
Delphi and I share in this book a portion of the animal
communication classes we convened in Tucson, Arizona.
The events and Delphi's words are accurate. Only the
names of the students attending the classes have been
changed. I believe that these classes illustrate that
when humans and animals become partners, miracles can
happen and they do.
I feel blessed to offer this book to you and I know
Delphi is joyous that you are reading it.
Patricia Jepsen
P.S. Delphi is pronounced DEL-PHEEE.
copyright 2002 by Patricia Jepsen
Chuse