Life Lessons from Millie and All the Dogs I’ve Loved
Edward Grinnan
Hardcover, $24.99
The author of this beautifully written memoir is the
editor-in-chief of Guideposts Publications, and thus his perspective of life is
colored by his Christian faith. Not sharing that faith did not at all diminish
my admiration and enjoyment of this book, because first and foremost, this is a
book about dogs. Whether or not dogs are sent from a higher power, or are
simply nature’s gift to us, their importance in our family dynamic is clear,
and their ability to see beyond what we humans can see, smell, or hear, does
seem miraculous given our comparably limited senses.
Edward Grinnan’s dog Millie is the central focus of his
story, but he glides back to childhood and the dog who comforted him during his
violent asthma attacks; later to the dog who brought his wife Julee to him; and
to Sally, who forced him to see the crumpled old wino as a human being, needing
comfort and acceptance. Other dogs prance in and out of his life, and he
relives their stories for us with grace, wit and awe.
He writes,
If Sally had helped teach me to be a more compassionate human being, someone who was not so quick to judge and rationalize the sufferings of others, then what I was to learn from Millie was an amplification, on a level that touched the spiritual.
Millie, a white golden retriever, first came to the couple
via Florida, flying into New York City in a small crate, and bounding into
Edward and Julee’s life with that crazy loving energy only goldens seem to
possess. (My only complaint is that Grinnan bought Millie from a breeder.
Whether or not that breeder was part of a puppy mill is unknown, but I’m an
advocate of adopting rather than buying dogs.) Millie’s entry into city life
was difficult. She refused to walk on the pavement, preferring to take care of
her bodily needs on newspaper in the apartment. She was terrified of horses,
and came unglued at the sight of a one (there are quite a few around
Manhattan). When Julee had a bad fall down their stairs and broke her collar
bone, Millie lay on top of her, keeping her from going into shock. She was a
clutter of conflicting impulses, but she was also insightful, compassionate,
and intuitive.
Grinnan’s own life was likewise a bit of a clutter. He had
struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years, and was only recently
sober when he met Julee and her dog Rudy. Dogs became ever more crucial in his
growth as a human being. They trained him in deeper, more profound ways, than
he trained them. His career at Guideposts likewise offered him the inspiration
of other dog lovers and their stories, a few of which he retells here. He
leaves the reader with the comforting assurance that our relationships with our
dogs are important and not trivial. Dogs are a vital part of our pursuit of
happiness. And, he assures us, they do go to heaven.
★★★★★
★★★★★
