Page 13 - Sonoma County Gazette Oct. 2019

A Dog’s Way Home
By Shepherd Bliss, 3sb@comcast.net.
“A Dog’s Way Home,” 2019, is now available on DVD from libraries and elsewhere. The maker of the popular, award-winning “A Dog’s Purpose” also made this new film. Both are exciting and informative family adventures, which film critics have been giving rave reviews.Cats play a key role in this
film. Bella was raised by
cats, whom she helps feed
and protect. They make a loving family. Bella—Spanish for “beautiful”—embodies playfulness, as well as presence, restraint, and wisdom. Emotional scenes occur between Bella and her humans, cats, and other friends. Bella goes on a walk that becomes
a 400-mile quest into the wilderness.
The film reveals how dogs might think. Bella is on a quest to “Go Home!,” she keeps reminding us. She works to assemble a pack. This is a
real live dog, not a computer- generated copy. She is a vital “service dog” by nature, which can help people deal with our Post-Traumatic Stress (PTSD).
I am the “odd man out” in my family of origin; I find my deepest companionship with dogs, redwoods, oaks,
berries, and other wild things on the Kokopelli Farm where I have lived for nearly 30 years.
In my veterans group we do not consider ourselves to be “disorders,” which are hard to recover from. “Moral injury” is a term we use to describe ourselves, which indicates a problem, but it does not mean that the person is a “disorder.” Healing is possible.
On her epic journey, Bella meets “Big Kitty,” whose mother was killed by a hunter. We later learn that “Big Kitty” is a cougar. Bella becomes her “Mother Cat” and adopts her. The film has touching scenes of human-dog contact, including playing together and the messes that dogs can make.
The film evokes both laughter and sadness.
Bella saves the life of a man under the winter ice. She experiences both kind and not so good people, including dogcatchers.
Was it dogs who trained humans to meet their needs, or humans who trained dogs to meet our needs? Dogs--as well as cats, horses, and other animals—can bring so much love into a family.
Bella’s protection from the mean dogcatcher includes military veterans. Her allies work at a veteran’s hospital. They back down the dogcatcher who has been trying to capture and eliminate her. “Bella helps me with the Post- Traumatic Stress that I suffer from,” explains one of her military allies.
My dog Daisie is about the same size as Bella and helps me with my Post- Traumatic Stress, even after these many decades. I took Daisie to the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Center to train her, as well as myself, on how to care for her. Both Bella and Daisie seem driven by love and loyalty.
An alive dog, loving human, and nature are the starts of this film. Bella seems to be guided by a higher power, which she can help connect us to.
Fortunately, according to the film, “Dogs have faith in us.” Lucky us!
(Dr. Shepherd Bliss {3sb@comcast.net} is a retired college professor. He has mainly farmed for the last 30 years and has contributed to 24 books.)
Be Prepared for a Medical Emergency: Tuesday, October 29, 2019, 2 – 4 p.m.
Free Advanced Care Planning Workshop
Who Will Speak for YOU If YOU Can’t Speak for Yourself?
At some point in our lives, many of us will face a medical
emergency due to accident or illness. Half of the people brought to an emergency room are unconscious, sedated or too ill to speak for themselves regarding treatment choices. By completing advance care planning to make your medical wishes known now, you and your loved ones can be ready then.
Advance care planning is the process of thinking through, talking about and documenting your healthcare wishes and priorities before a medical crisis.
A FREE workshop to help adults age 18 and older complete advance care planning, Who Will Speak for You If You Can't Speak for Yourself?, will be held Tuesday, October 29, 2 – 4 p.m., at Redwood Credit Union, 3033 Cleveland Avenue,
Santa Rosa, hosted by My Care My Plan: Speak Up, Sonoma County (MCMP).
Participants will learn about the
types of care they might choose
in a health crisis, and how to
make their choices clear through
thoughtful, written advance health
care directives. They’ll learn how to
choose the best person to represent
their wishes in a medical crisis, and how to have clear, caring conversations with loved ones and healthcare providers now about care choices and treatment options.
"In my day-to-day work, I see the burden families face when they must choose a treatment strategy for a loved one in crisis. If they've never had conversations with them about the things that matter most to them in the context of life-threatening illness, the stress is so much more," says Suzanne Llamado, RN, PHN, Sutter Care At Home, Advanced Illness Management Program.
"It may feel awkward to start that 'what matters most' conversation," adds Nina Arbour, past Community Relations and Volunteer Services Manager, Hospice Services of St. Joseph Health, "but it's a conversation you want to have on your own time – rather than under pressure in a hospital emergency room."
Llamado and Arbour will lead the October workshop for anyone over age 18.
My Care, My Plan: Speak Up, Sonoma County’s
MyCareMyPlanSonoma.org vision is for every adult in the county to become educated and empowered to express their wishes about end-of-life care, to have the opportunity to do so, and to have their wishes honored in a medical crisis.
This is an initiative of the Committee for Healthcare Improvement and Sonoma County Health Action, which mobilizes community partnerships and resources to achieve equity and improve health for all in Sonoma County. MCMP is a collaborative of organizations and individuals from the private, public, nonprofit and volunteer sectors, including local healthcare and social service organizations and other community partners.
There are Three Ways
to Register for the
Free Workshop:
1. Onlineat:MyCareMyPlanSonoma.org
under Events
2. By phone at: (707)565-5950
3. By email to: aasecretary@schsd.org.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019, 2 – 4 p.m.
Redwood Credit Union, 3033 Cleveland Avenue, Santa Rosa Reservations: MyCareMyPlanSonoma.org, (707) 565-5950 or aasecretary@schsd.org
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