An Unexpected Gift
My sister-in-law is a dynamo in a tiny package — an opera singer, actress, clown, energy healer, and animal lover. Lately, she’s been concerned that my elderly dog Teagan is overdoing therapy dog work.
True, together Teagan and I have done more than 200 visits to hospitals, courts, police departments, and even the King Soopers grocery store in the aftermath of the shooting. That’s a lot of draining emotional contact for both of us. If I thought Teagan didn’t enjoy the work, she’d retire, but she barks, dances in circles, and beats me to the car when I bring out the working vest she wears on visits (called a cape).
This year my SIL gave me a surprise for Christmas—a session with an animal communicator. She knew the communicator, a woman in Denver, and wanted to be certain Teagan wasn’t getting ill from any negative energy or emotions picked up during therapy visits.
I expected the communicator to talk in generalities or say things my SIL may have told her about my dog. I was even more skeptical when I learned the session could be done remotely over the phone based only on Teagan’s picture.
I dove into the session with some questions I’d prepared.
What was Teagan’s favorite toy? A little brown stuffed animal she calls Baby.
Okay. Good guess. Teagan does have a little brown moose she loves, but that’s a pretty common type of dog toy.
Who’s Teagan’s favorite parent? Your husband.
What!? That’s a question I never should have asked (LOL). But I’m the one who gives Teagan pills, injections, trims her nails, and performs all sorts of other unpleasantries whereas my husband rolls around the floor wrestling with her. Again, a good guess.
I shared that Teagan is allergic to chicken.
What food should I feed her? Definitely no fowl.
Of course not. I didn’t need the communicator to tell me that. I checked my watch. How much longer was this session?
Then the communicator continued: Try other proteins like beef, pork, and . . . hmmm . . . this can’t be right . . . kangaroo? Where did that come from all of a sudden?
Interesting. We’d recently tried a novel protein Teagan loved, which was — you guessed it — canned kangaroo. No way my SIL could have known that tidbit.
Okay, now I decided to throw the communicator a question from left field.
Was Teagan reincarnated? Turns out, Teagan never was a wild animal, and most of her past lives were as a human. Most vividly, the communicator saw Teagan in a small 18th century village as a midwife or healer, wearing a cape.
Whoa. Stop right there. A healer? Wearing a cape? Therapy dogs were known healers, but no way anyone outside the hospital therapy dog world called the dog vests “capes.”
At that point, the communicator had my complete attention, so I asked about Teagan’s health. After a few minutes, the communicator told me: Watch her liver.
Her liver? Teagan’s last blood work had shown slightly elevated liver values. No one other than the vet and my husband knew that.
Anything else about her health? Her left hip.
That’s odd. Teagan’s right hind leg sometimes gave her trouble, not her left one. I made a note to ask the vet on her next exam.
And, at the exam, the week before Christmas, the vet found a cancerous mast cell tumor on Teagan’s left hip. Since we’d caught the tumor so early, it hadn’t metastasized and was small enough to be cleanly removed.
Thanks to my sister-in-law and an animal communicator for the best gift ever.
Now I’m an openminded person. Do I believe? Well, I certainly don’t disbelieve. How about you?
By 
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website 
Like your chocolate chips, but not at Christmas?
Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of action-adventure and fantasy tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. She participates in many activities, including swearing, karate, art, and yelling at the news. She can usually be found chasing after her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel (or screenplay). You can also catch up with her on 
By Lois Winston
Clicking Our Heels – Family Stress Points and the Holidays
Learn More About Winter Wonderland
Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of action-adventure and fantasy tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. She can usually be found chasing after her daughter, or glued to the computer working on her next novel (or screenplay). You can also catch up with her on 
