My New Huffington Post Piece/Peace…

I’m delighted to share that the Huffington Post has just published my piece/peace, “The Dalai Lama Nose”–which is about my chihuahua Anubis’ private audience with the His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Since the Dalai Lama’s birthday was this week (July 6th), I’m grateful for the opportunity to share some of what I learned in his humble and humorous presence on HuffPo…

While this was an extraordinary and unique encounter for Anubis, Anubis is actually most known for his work as a pet therapy dog in hospitals, universities, and nursing homes.

Anubis’ work in mental hospitals has primarily been focused on helping women struggling with depression, anxiety, OCD, and eating disorders.

And during his time at Brown University, Anubis helped students calm down and relax during midterms and finals.

Anubis’ work in the nursing home was the most difficult for me personally, because of how many residents had been abandoned by their families–due to many different factors.

Trained in both Arabic and English (though he prefers Arabic), Anubis’ eclectic resume even includes a performance gig at Lincoln Center–in the role of the “Maestro”–in a dada piece which I wrote.

But this isn’t just the story of an overbearing stagemom and her chihuahua. You see, I’d been told he was special even before I’d met him–and not just in the way that all dog owners think their dogs are special—which, of course, they are.

When I first called to inquire about a recently born litter of chihuahuas, the breeder carefully described to me the temperaments of all the puppies in the new litter.

“Oh, there’s also the runt–and I don’t know what it is, but we all agree that he’s got some kind of special soul or something-and it’s kind of freaking us out,” he said.

I asked him to explain what he meant, but he said I’d just have to come and see for myself.

Stepping over the baby gate in the breeder’s kitchen, I surveyed five hyperactive puppies that could fit in my pocket–nipping at my ankles and making small puddles in all directions. But none of them seemed particularly enlightened.

“Where’s the special one?” I said.

The breeder smiled and pointed under the stove at a little fawn runt nestled against the back wall, shivering from the trauma of his first bath. Hypnotized by his prematurely wise and knowing eyes, my soul–feeling as exposed as he was–recognized him at once. It was love…

Since then, Anubis and I have been on many adventures–and he’s currently loving his life in Lebanon–where he’s helping friends and strangers alike transcend their fears of dogs every day.

Thank you,
if you can,
for passing on the story
of Anubis
and
HH the Dalai Lama–
may all hearts
open
as wide
as the hearts
of these two
great
masters
of
compassion!