March 2008

Throughout history, women of every race and creed have shaped and strengthened our country and the world. March was designated Women's History Month to help us remember the contributions of these extraordinary women. In honor of this, Cesar has asked that his wife Ilusion write the Opening Letter to this month's newsletter.

Greetings,

I truly believe that women make great pack leaders. We have the compassion it takes to learn what dogs need, and the strength and perseverance required to put what we learn into practice.

One common road bump for woman is affection. For many of us, it is in our nature to be nurturing, and it can be difficult to give up the idea of "loving" a dog out of its problems. Trust me; I know how hard this can be. My nurturing instinct is strong, and it's a part of myself that I love and value. I find a lot of fulfillment in being able to hug and kiss a dog, and, even though I have received "people training" for the 14 years of my marriage to Cesar, I still occasionally slip up! It can be hard to resist the cute faces of Minnie or Coco, and that's okay. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself. Take a step back: are you really helping your dog? You're not wrong or bad for having made a mistake; embracing mistakes and failures can be a very freeing experience! To me, learning from them is what makes the journey so exciting.

It's my personal belief that women play a large role in keeping the world together. As we continue to expand our influence in the public domain, the world will become a better place for it. Take some time this month to reflect on your own history and acknowledge the contributions you make to your world, your community, your family, and of course, your pack!

Lots of love,

Ilusion Millan