I’ve written about pet loss, the grieving process for both owners and pets, and whether we can expect our animal friends to be with us in heaven. But my nonfiction book tastes run more toward prescriptive how-to rather than inspirational. I surprised myself by absolutely falling in love with this self-published “small” book of larger-than-life inspiration.
This wonderful book guides pet parents through the pain of loss, and asserts that grief can actually heal and makes us better people. Father Paul died before seeing the book published, but his message lives on. Pet parents need this book.
Pros
- Short, easily digestible chapters (grief limits a reader's attention span)
- Logically organized
- Inspirational anecdotes
- Exhaustive "further reading" for adults and children
- All proceeds benefit The Perseus Foundation (nonprofit) for pet cancer research
Cons
- Title ambiguous, may be hard to find
- Photos not high quality
- Recommended "further reading" not always available
- Religious themes may not appeal to all readers
Description
- Published by iUniverse
- Written by Father Paul A. Keenan
- ISBN # 978-1-4401-4340-3
Review - Why We Love Them So, by Father Paul A. Keenan
Father Paul wrote the book to work through his own grief upon the loss of twenty-five-year-old Teddy, his special cat. His gentle author voice and spiritual message of healing strikes a common chord for anyone who has loved and lost a pet. Whatever your personal belief system, the universal commonality is if you love animals, it hurts to lose them.
The author describes the grief process as a soul journey of seven stages, progressing from lost soul to becoming re-enchanted with everyday life. He writes that the soul is the deepest, most precious part of us--where we encounter God--and that, “…if we listen to our soul, it can move us through seven stages of development which, in the end, leave our hearts singing again. The prerequisite is that we turn within and listen…and the soul can do the rest.”
How absolutely lovely!
Father Paul’s seven stages are:
- feeling alone after the death
- dealing with “why me?”
- learning to receive and offer compassion
- realizing an overall purpose
- sorting through past life experiences
- returning to daily life
- committing to a new level of aliveness and reality
Grief is normal, and a testament to the many years of love you shared. When a beloved animal friend nears the end of life and ultimately dies, grief can be overwhelming and paralyzing. This moving book offers essays and guidance how to understand deep sorrow, move through it, and eventually use the power of that emotion to transform lives for the better--for the owner and future fur-kids who will share your love.