Luna

Fear is a powerful emotion; it can take hold of a person, overcoming them with its iron grip. As far as emotions go, fear is the most destructive. Fear has a tendency to destroy the cognitive ability of reasoning. For me, fear kindled when I was a child.

My childhood involved endless trips to hospitals, which all ended the same. I was always referred to specialists who, just like the first doctor, were unsure of how to help. Years later, I finally learned what had been consuming my life: I had allergies. Allergies severe enough to cause severe bloating, swollen lymph nodes, painful cramping, but above all, a fear of trying anything new. This extended beyond food to many things in my life. New situations, new experiences, are always sources of fear for me. So when my family decided to adopt a rescued dog from Egypt, I found myself incapable of reacting as the rest of my family had.

       To my family, the arrival of this dog was like Christmas morning; they were filled with joy, excitement, and unconditional love for the new addition to our family. For myself, however, it was as though I was reliving my childhood; I was fearful. Welcoming this dog to my home brought back the feeling of carefully reading the label on a new food I was hoping to enjoy, hoping not to pick out an ingredient that would leave me in pain. Unfortunately, too many times I did, and if I didn't, I would often realize moments later that I had missed something. For me, trying to love this dog was like reading the label on the candy – as much as I wanted to love her I was fearful.

What was I so afraid of? Does she have tics? worms? any number of diseases?Although I knew it was irrational, I was fearful of the effects of these uncertainties on

myself .

In fact, the dog had come to us with a condition, likely picked up from living on the streets, that caused her to develop warts in her mouth. The vet assured us that this condition was non-transferable to humans. However, I was still fearful. Thankfully, after a trip to the vet and a few medications, her mouth cleared up. She was perfectly healthy. After a few weeks with this dog, I started to find myself beginning to open up to her, subconsciously building a relationship with her. When I would look into the eyes of the dog I could see fear. Like myself, she must have been uncertain. After all, one day she was picked up off the streets of Egypt and then suddenly she was in our home. An experience like that could not have been easy. As time passed, she became my new best friend. She runs over, tail wagging in excitement when I arrive home from school, and every time I see her my face lights up. She has become my torch in the dark, guiding me away from my fear.

The uncertainty is now gone, replaced by a new unbreakable relationship. A relationship that blossomed despite fear. I could never have imagined the effect that a dog could have on my life. Teaching me the importance of being able to relate to someone in order to overcome fear. Perhaps the dog, Luna, has learned the same lesson. Something that I feel I learned through this experience is that the only way for me to overcome my fear is through building new relationships. Something we can both take forward in our lives.