Why I Held Auditions for a Golden Retriever
This is a picture of one of my daughters helping me put on "Sunny Auditions."
Getting the word out about my book has been a job in itself. After brainstorming with some friends, we came up with the idea of holding "Sunny Auditions."
Since Sunny is the narrator of my book, I thought, Why not let his character shine? Golden Retrievers are so beloved! At the same time, I was working with my illustrator to fine-tune exactly what I wanted Sunny to look like. Everything seemed to align. We invited the public to help provide some "Sunny Inspiration."
I started reaching out on several platforms to see if people wanted to be involved. Sadly, nothing came of it. I even joined a Golden Retriever Facebook community, but they wouldn't allow me to post about the auditions. Originally, I thought I needed a large group of Goldens, but when no one was responding, I found myself lowering my expectations. Thankfully, a few friends said they would attend, which helped me stay positive.
Then a friend connected me with a gentleman who owned two beautiful Golden Retrievers that were show dogs. He, in turn, connected me with other owners whose dogs were from the same litter. Suddenly, I had ten Goldens signed up to attend the auditions. Things were finally looking up!
Living in Colorado, you never know what the weather is going to do. I remember sitting at my desk at work the day before the event, looking out the window as it began to snow. My heart sank. Coordinating a date and time that worked for everyone's schedules had taken a lot of effort, and now the weather threatened to ruin it. I said a lot of prayers and put it in God's hands.
The next morning, I woke up to four inches of snow covering the ground. My husband drove me to the location where the auditions would be held later that day. Armed with a shovel, I was determined to clear the grass. I tried...and I wouldn't recommend it! Shoveling grass doesn't work very well.
Seeing how discouraged I was, my husband walked the property with me. We found another area that would work, and together we came up with a new plan.
Later that day, I was reminded why I love living in Colorado. The afternoon sun came out and melted every bit of the snow before the auditions began. One day it snows, and the next you're wearing shorts. That's Colorado for you!
A wonderful group of friends and family showed up to help everything run smoothly. Every single Golden Retriever attended, greeting one another as if they were at a family reunion that happened every year. I've learned that Golden Retrievers are joyful, loving dogs that never seem to run out of energy. They truly run on pure love!
Everyone was patient, kind, and easygoing, which made the entire gathering such a joy. Although the photo opportunities, talent competition, and parade were all so much fun, I think my favorite part was pup cup time. Watching all the Goldens gather together to enjoy their treats after a job well done was simply priceless.
Planning Sunny Auditions taught me a valuable lesson. Even though I'm an author who writes about positivity, I'm still human. Sometimes I need to remind myself to think like my positive character, Opta, and look for the good in every situation.
We often picture things going a certain way and decide they're only successful if they unfold exactly as we imagined. But life doesn't always follow our plans. I've come to realize that our journey isn't meant to obey our instructions. Sometimes the unexpected becomes the best part of the story. We simply need to embrace the changes, trust the process, and recognize that those twists and turns are part of the journey that shapes us.
