42 Comments
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Melanie Birchfield's avatar

….and your writing this story helps us grow! Age and experience can bring much wisdom.

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

I hope it does - thank you!

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Alyson Brewer's avatar

This is such beautiful writing and so encouraging- I just love you to pieces

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

Wellllllllllll (ala Aly tone) … look who has joined the conversation, folks! (Also, it’s not fair that you have such a good profile picture).

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Christy Warren's avatar

So grateful you are showing us you.

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

You've been there, watching me get there. So grateful for you!

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kathy hobman's avatar

You are wonderful

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Christy Warren's avatar

The feeling is very mutual.

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kathy hobman's avatar

AGREEEE

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Corie Dixon's avatar

I think that it is just human nature not to want to show any sign of vulnerability. We should be hiding that part of ourselves. Children do not know that birth, neither do puppies. Everything is just a big wonderful exciting world that they need to see and delve into. As we grow, we learn and we change. Just as puppies. We learn to love and be brave but we also learn to be cautious and afraid. How we learn to deal with the unknown will be part of who we become. Being human and human feelings are no longer, in some respects accepted by ourselves. Someone, (not mentioning any names...lol), once said; "When we know better, we do better." You have grown and changed and accepted who you are as a writter, breeder and person. Just like you make your puppies resilent, you are making yourself resilent. Thank you for being "human" and sharing it all with us! Perfection is overrated and is never acheivable. You are showing us all that learning and accepting ourselves for who we are (imperfect humans) is okay through your posts, book, and social media.

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

I'm finding that living as a real human is much better than attempting perfection - thank you for coming along on the ride with me!

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kathy hobman's avatar

Sooo happy to hear you say this & KNOW this to be true -- real humans are vulnerable & perfection - who wants that??? All of us are vulnerable - You are so good Kerry & have taught us all " when we know better we do better"

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

thank you Kathy!

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kathy hobman's avatar

Aww Kerry you are such a beautiful soul...

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Corie Dixon's avatar

so true Kathy!

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kathy hobman's avatar

Yes Corie - perfection is over rated🐶

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Corie Dixon's avatar

a million times over Kerry!

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Lisa Crawford Watson's avatar

Thank you for that; an essay and message to post on the mirror. I so appreciate your eloquent heart. PS. There is no such thing as an imperfect dog. Or you.

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

Awwwwww - THANK YOU! And a huge compliment coming from you.

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Raylene Jennings's avatar

Vulnerability. So many of us need to learn to do better. And your story helps us get there! Thanks, Kerry.

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

That's exactly it. We must be brave!

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Margie's avatar

Wow! This definitely hit home for me! Thank you so much for sharing! I’m still a work in progress with releasing the need to be “perfect” - but hearing this from you (who I think of as perfect), definitely helps! 😊

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

I just finished a book that is a REALLY tough read, but excellent. The Tell by Amy Griffin. She has some extraordinary insights about perfectionism and the way the drive for it morphed her into someone she didn't want to be (and her subsequent quest to unwind the neural pathways that got her there). So many of us were raised with the message that we are only loved if we are perfect. Such a lie. As my friend @christywarren says, "don't be afraid to be seen trying."

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Margie's avatar

Thanks for this recommendation! Just ordered it!

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Megan Markey's avatar

Love you Kerry. Thank you for the gift of your dogs and your books! ❤️🐶

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

Thank you Megan!

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Dagmar Francis's avatar

I follow you with such joy and interest there is so much insight into the world of dogs but also very much about life in general - what you read, what you found interesting - so many times I have clicked the links! You can be proud of yourself even if you feel that is not what you are after. Criticizing someone who is actually doing what he/she loves is often a problem of the beholder unfortunately - nothing and no one is perfect that makes us human and relatable - thank you as always Dagmar

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Kerry Nichols's avatar

Thank you so much! I wish I could remember which podcast Malcolm Gladwell was on when he said this about his dad. It struck me and I have reflected on it many times, but for the life of me, I cannot remember where I heard it! (And thank you for your encouragement).

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kathy hobman's avatar

Perfection? Who wants this - I love that Harper shredded that notepaper! Its real its honest its - life & you Kerry are all of the good things in life--- your heart & powerful insight & knowledge - shine in all you do! Humans blunder away through life & we all get bruised at times-- Kerry your beauty shines through all you so kindly share!

Pawstively love that you teach & share with us all..

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Deb's avatar

Discovering you was a gift I never imagined receiving. And now raising a puppy in our senior years is in some ways easier because as we read Puppy Brain over and over, so many ahah moments that helped us understand the growth process. Thank you for the umpteenth time🐾🤍🥰

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Cneut's avatar

“It’s part of the magic of dogs — they lead us home to ourselves.”

Your words are so true, at least for me. The dogs I have lived with and loved have brought peace to my heart.

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JoAnn O'Hair's avatar

Absolutely yes. You make us all more comfortable and able to ask what we might perceive as a silly or stupid question. Thank you.

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Jennifer K's avatar

Perfectionism can be self-limiting in so many ways. It can rob us of asking good questions and the joy of stretching to learn. Studies show that those for whom learning was easy often view effort, a struggle as evidence that one wasn’t as smart as they thought. Indeed, if it’s a struggle, some abandon the learning opportunity altogether— a poor score brushed off as the result of not trying, not of not learning. We don’t value mistakes in our society, and the humility, curiosity, wonder available in getting something wrong. It’s a shame that educators often see in high achievers and in boys. And we need to turn that tide. Bravo to you for permitting yourself the vulnerability of sharing a very doglike moment, even from #HarperCanDoNoWrong. That star is brighter, not dimmed, as a result. And, honestly, the only thing that I deduced about you from it was that you either don’t cover your trash cans or she’s figured out a work around— as I’ve witnessed dogs to do!

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Fawn Burke's avatar

I so enjoy all that you teach us! I never miss a day of catching you on Facebook...it's the best part of my morning! I so appreciate you!!!

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Lori Thompson's avatar

Yes! To! This! Your writing and the real life stories you're sharing help free my mind from those perfectionist tendencies, so thank you for being so real and putting yourself out there for us all!

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