Readers Digest Australia July 2021

WE THRIVE ON CELEBRATING individuals who strive to brighten the lives and hearts of others – and that includes our animal companions. That’s why we’re particularly excited to bring you ‘Finding Gobi’ (Bonus Read, page 124), which tells the amazing story of how Dion Leonard was able to complete the gruelling seven-day Gobi Desert ultramarathon race – thanks in part to the support of a very determined homeless dog. Their friendship, set in the parched landscape of Central Mongolia, helped forge new beginnings for them both. Our health focus this month is one of modern society’s silent afflictions – chronic pain. In ‘Conquer Your Everyday Aches and Pains’ (page 38) we take a close look at the latest pain self-management strategies, all of which are expert-approved. We meet Andrew Lloyd Webber…

Love Thy Neighbour Karen Stiller’s article, ‘Next-Door Strangers’ (April), must have struck a chord in the hearts of people everywhere. Her persistence and ingenuity in bringing good out of lockdown was inspiring. I would love to read the sequel describing the neighbours getting together over dinner. EULALIE HOLMAN Positive Perspective As a hypochondriac, I usually avoid reading other people’s experiences dealing with illness, especially the ‘big C’. I came across the article ‘My Shocking Diagnosis’ (May) expecting to feel fear and anxiety. To my surprise, I found the story uplifting. The author’s surrender to the unknown, yet dogged determination to live each day to the fullest, was inspiring. Instead of wallowing in depression, he accepted that there may be no tomorrow but today is enough to live for. JANINA BERNARDO Those We Trust What a marvellous cover…

For quality products, book sales and more, call 1300 300 030 or head to Readersdigest.com.au/shop CONTRIBUTE READERSDIGESTAUSTRALIA Anecdotes and Jokes $50–$100 Send in your real-life laugh for Life’s Like That or All in a Day’s Work. Got a joke? Send it in for Laughter Is the Best Medicine! Smart Animals Up to $100 Share antics of unique pets or wildlife in up to 300 words. My Story $400 Got an inspiring or life-changing tale? Submissions must be true, original, unpublished and 800–1000 words. Letters to the Editor and Reader Submissions Online Follow the ‘Contribute’ link at readersdigest.com.au Email editor@readersdigest.com.au Mail Reader’s Digest Magazine, PO Box 6458, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 Please include your name, address, phone number and email. Letters: We may edit letters and use them in all print and electronic media. Submissions: All submissions become our property on payment and subsequent publication in…

“How could they do that to those beautiful girls?” my great-aunt Mary suddenly said as we sat quietly chatting in The Admiral, her local pub in Islington, London. “Every day they used to play with my children – then they simply disappeared. A year later, we learned the whole family had been murdered.” The burden of her disbelief still weighed heavily. I didn’t interrupt the remarkable story that had been unfolding since we’d entered The Admiral an hour before. It was 1951, and I’d recently come to London – the home of many relatives. A cousin suggested I look up our great-aunt. So, one evening I knocked on her door in a nondescript block of flats that sat in the middle of ruins. The area had been heavily bombed in the Blitz…

Wilber the Dishwasher ALLAN TAYLOR When working as a field geologist on a mapping project in southwest Tasmania, I was camped at the junction of two streams in the wilderness region of the Old River catchment. My field assistant, Jim Maddox, helped establish this base camp on the river bank which was reached by crossing a fallen tree bridge. Each night, for several months, we cooked our meals on the camp fire. After a few days in residence we noticed that we were being watched by a wild animal which we named Wilber. The animal came trotting across the tree bridge, and from the bushes it would watch us prepare our meals in the evening. After eating we would put our plates on the ground at our feet. Provided we kept perfectly still, Wilber…

Our regular pet columnist, Dr Katrina Warren, is an established and trusted animal expert. AS OUR PETS CAN’T TAKE CARE of their own teeth, it is important that owners understand their dental hygiene needs, says veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren. DENTAL PROBLEMS ARE COMMON and it’s alarming that a majority of pets show symptoms of dental or periodontal disease by three years of age. Adult dogs have 42 teeth, which is ten more than humans. Your dog’s dental health is just as important as your own and it should be one of the things you take care of on a daily basis. It’s a good idea to ask your vet to show you what healthy teeth and gums look like, so you can identify a problem. BAD BREATH, tooth loss and pain can all…