Here in Brisbane and surrounds its seems like we’ve been waiting forever for category 2 CYCLONE ALFRED to call. But the bugger just insists on keeping us hanging!

It’s frustrating and a little unnerving. Waiting can be hard. But sometimes it’s all you can do.

It reminded me of young Corey’s thoughts on what he learned about waiting from his dog Mr Mosely in this passage from Just a Dog.

I guess it’s like Mum keeps telling Amelia. Sometimes you just have to ‘wait and see’.

Mister Mosely was really good at doing that. He waited for heaps of stuff. He waited on the porch for us to come outside. He waited for ages to get better after the car hit him. He waited all those times for Uncle Gavin to stop teasing him and for Amelia to get tired of dressing him up and for Dad to finish his tea and for Grace to be born. And he waited for me too. Every single day after school.

So that’s what I’m going to do. Just wait. Wait and hope.

Maybe I learnt how to do that from Mr Mosely. Maybe it’s the one trick he taught me. That sometimes the very best thing you can do is wait, just like he did. Wait for stuff to happen or to stop happening, for things to heal up and get better or for someone to come home.

I reckon that’s a pretty good trick to learn, from just a dog.

Yeah, me too.

Stay safe everyone. ❤

Cheers
Michael

Children’s Book – Mary Ryan’s Award

Michael Gerard Bauer has used a consummate, yet understated, blend of humour and compassion to create the tale of a dog, Mister Mosely (Moe), and his human family.  We meet Moe as a puppy when he becomes part of Corey’s family. Using a structure of interlinked stories to create a novel, Bauer develops Moe, Corey and the family’s rich and authentic relationships throughout times of intense sadness and difficulty, as well as times of celebration and joy. The writing shows an affinity with ordinary people, making them special. Children will understand and appreciate patience and hope more deeply after reading this fine book and discover that ‘a story doesn’t stop being true just because you stop telling it’.

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