Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour.(Ovid)

Indie arrived into our home on Sunday 19th September 2011 and I had preconceived ideas that I would be able to teach Brandon to pat Indie; throw a ball for Indie to fetch; and interact with Indie and this would miraculously calm him and make his life so much better. In my mind education is everything; and I still endorse a life long journey of learning new things and studying; however,  Katie Hunter said to me, sometimes you achieve more if you just let things happen without interference between the client and dog.
  (Something along those lines). And yesterday, those words have never been
 proven more true!

I have been unwell this week requiring Brandon to have to live in respite care and for Indie this is 'torture'. In the morning, when Brandon is home, she greets everyone however she firstly smells at Brandon's door and if he is in bed asleep, that's fine and she will leave him until about 7am when the light is put on in his room for Brandon to get up for school and then Indie will go and give Brandon his morning kiss on a part of his exposed body. Well, this week Indie kept going to Brandon's room and then to me as if to say, 'Brandon is lost- find him". The evenings are even more challenging, there is Indie waiting at the gate for Brandon to arrive home. When, he doesn't- she runs inside to tell me and runs out and winges a little. A long walk helps at this time!

 Brandon arrived home last night to a very happy Indie . And this is when the fantastic interaction between Brandon and Indie occured! Brandon was lying on the couch and Indie was facing me while I was patting her and Indie's tail was wagging. Firstly, Brandon put his hand out so that Indie's tail would touch him and secondly he put his hand out a couple of times to touch Indie gently on her back. The smile on Brandon's face was priceless!

It has taken nearly 7 months for this to occur! However, I remember when I was teaching swimming to children with disabilities at the GAC Rainbow Club, there was one boy with higher functioning autism who took three years to get into the water and then he started swimming straight away.

This goes to show it is definitely worth the wait. Indie is happy waiting and so should I be!

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.
-- Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne