This is a fantastic poem (written by Emma Hawkins - thanks Emma!) about how we mirror each other - people and dogs (and life in general!) tend to throw back at us what we suppress and struggle with inside. It is very easy to blame, misunderstand and become emotional towards someone or something "out there" and we forget that is most probably our own reflection we are judging! This is very true for the majority of issues we deal with in our work in human/dog relationships so we felt it very relevant to share this."Projection" A serious infection caused by the deluded need for perfection. A desperate attempt to avoid rejection. Ego preservation. Soul starvation. Forgetting we're part of a BIGGER creation. Too painful to bare the truth of our Self. We project disowned parts onto someone else. In front of each other like a mirror we stand. Finding faults and imperfections like grains of sand... ...Through the hourglass they pour... If you could just do this it's you I'd adore, If you'd quit acting like that I'd love you more. "You're too critical of me" she says, into the reflection, "You're too emotional" He says, "You can't handle rejection." When the pain gets too much they turn the other way, Shouting "I just can't face YOU today!" And with their mirrors now out of site, They innocently think that's the end of the fight. They mistakenly think the battle has come to an end, ...Until the day they meet a new friend... And it happens all over again... ...'Cause it's their own hearts they must mend. Standing alone with no one else to blame, She realises it's her own inner critic she must tame. And with no one to hold all his disowned emotion, Deep inside himself he now feels ALL the commotion. NOW they realise they must take ownership of their own projection, And finally admit others are simply their reflection. She soothes her inner critic that causes her such commotion, And he learns to embrace all of his emotions. And the next time they meet, it's with REAL eyes they see, That I am YOU and YOU are me! written by Emma Hawkins.