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Voting for Round 2 is now over. Thank you for supporting this author!
Cheryl Hiebert
Losing Willow
Grieving The Loss of An Animal Companion
Category Tags: Pets, Death & Dying, Happiness, Relationships, Animal Communication
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Book Description: The book is about the amazing human bond that we have with animals. It is for anyone who has experienced this kind of relationship or perhaps would like to explore it.
The book is a journey & from the initial meeting of our new friend, the celebration of friendship and bonding, through the loss and grief, with my story and journal entries woven throughout the chapters.
The book has a very moving humanistic element as I go through the stages of the actual relationship; the beginning, the middle, the end and then full circle again. The addition of personal journal experiences/entries/anecdotes and stories demonstrates the cycle of this relationship. The entries and stories are shared to create the place where we know the author has been there and identifies with how we feel. It helps the reader feel less alone and know someone truly recognizes and empathizes with the depth of this unique connection. The reader will be right there along for the ride - a familiar one. We all love the safe warm familiar place where we feel like we are truly understood. It affirms that we are not alone in the way we feel about our animals/human relationships.
It reminds people of the wonder and stages of the relationship, how we will eventually come full circle. It will offer the reader hope.
In the grief process we reach out for anything that can comfort us, and often what we need is exactly what we are avoiding. This book will make people both laugh and cry & they will read what they need to, they will be drawn into the story & they will want to know how it all unfolds. It will help them understand, celebrate, grieve and heal. This original book lovingly covers every topic I believe to be important. The words come straight from my heart and speak directly to the heart of the reader.
This book ultimately outlines the spiritual journey of a human with a dog as the teacher.
Our evolution as a human /spiritual being may be this - If we can love that way, if we can love our animal companion so deeply and so unconditionally and learn from the lessons of life and loss & can we then extend that love to all humans - perhaps that is our challenge and ultimately our success.
DETAILED OUTLINE OF THE BOOK
The book is partly biographical references with excerpts from my personal journal woven through the chapters - some of our journey together & to create an experience where the reader can feel at home with similar feelings and observations.
There are three sections to the book. The first section is where we meet our new friend, create a bond and share life. The second section contains chapters on the loss of your companion and the stages of grief. In the third section we come full circle and contemplate embracing a new friend and recall the joyous aspects of the relationship and begin to celebrate again. The book may be about the human-animal loss but it can also be for anyone else who has loved and lost.
Losing Willow - book chapters/outline
Dedication - my creative champion(s) will be listed here.
Introduction - what the book is about, who it is for, what you will learn from reading the book and how the powerful messages contained within this book will help us all to truly understand the human-animal bond.
--Section One--
The Encounter - the first time we meet our new friend; how we feel, how we decide. How do we decide what type of companion best suits our lifestyle - to ensure that they have the best life possible, taking into account their needs, the natural instincts that need to be stimulated according to breed type, etc.
The Celebration - the magic, wonder and joy of companionship, bonding and friendship. What we can learn - why are they here, what they teach us, who are they really (do they come back, do their spirits stay with us, can we communicate with them, have we been with them before). They are beings with no voice, they are no longer in the wild, but are now domesticated - they need our care, our help, protection and nurturing.
--Section Two--
Types of Loss/Grief - there are several circumstances in which we lose the wonderful animals in our lives: they may run away, get lost, depart suddenly or violently, and then anticipatory grief when we find out our time with them is limited.
The Big Question - when is the right time to say goodbye; how to know and what to do.
The Stages of Grief - the nature of loss, how to cope with the news; the loss for yourself, your family and other animals in the home.
--Section Three--
Loss as a Gift - remembering & memories - at some point we begin to see the silver lining, the beautiful lessons; the joy. We begin to recall what we loved about then, how we loved and can reminisce again. Perhaps we have a sacred ceremony similar to a human funeral - to honour their place in our lives, to allow ourselves and offer others the opportunity in a loving blessed way.
An Angel in Fur - Willow's healing stories - Our animal companions know their role as being here to be of service. In my experience I have often seen the owner and the pet exhibit the same symptoms, have similar challenges and the exact same disease. They arrive as so-called pets but their role is a much larger one in helping us heal.
A New Friend - how to know when to welcome another animal into your heart and home; a puppy, a rescue, or another type of companion.
Paws for Reflection - quotes, poems, biographical journal entries, and short stories from others to inspire you and provide you with words of comfort to soothe your soul from the grief and to celebrate the bond you shared.
The Grief Journal - a section of the book devoted to you being able to journal your memories, ask others to write comments and memories, a place for pictures and cards (or a completely separate book)
Support - blogs, websites, groups, book and resources
Thanks yous -
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Voting for Round 2 is now over. Thank you for supporting this author!
Author(s) Bio
Cheryl Hiebert: Cheryl Hiebert M.Div. is the founder of Sacred Journeys Healing Arts Centre. The Centre offers many holistic therapies and personalized guidance to achieve optimal balance and wellness. The goal is to help empower people in their healing path in life&their own Sacred Journey.
Cheryl has studied holistic therapies for more than 15 years and brings a wide range of skills, as well as a genuine passion for healing, to her clients and students. She provides a variety of treatments to clients on an individual basis and also teaches workshops across North America.
She is a patient, intuitive and compassionate healer. She takes time to listen to her clients' challenges and then works with them to find the best healing path. Her intuitive skills, in combination with the healing therapies, work toward a successful outcome.
She believes that all healing is self-healing and that each of us has the ability to tap into that innate ability to both heal and empower ourselves. She also believes that we all need to take responsibility for our health and wellness - physically, mental, emotionally and spiritually. Cheryl has treated clients with a wide variety of health imbalances, including, but not limited to: fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, cancer, depression, weight issues, and chronic pain.
Through her love of teaching, Cheryl inspires and guides both adults and children into following their dreams. She sincerely cares about the progress of each and every student in her classes, as well as the clients who receive one-on-one treatments.
Cheryl has studied many different healing systems across North America, as well as internationally. She is a Usui Reiki Master and a registered teacher with the Canadian Reiki Association. She is also a Karuna® Reiki Master, certified through the International Center for Reiki training. She has trained directly with Donna Eden (author of Energy Medicine) for several years, Don Miguel Ruiz, studied intensively with Dr. John Thie who was the founder of Touch For Health healing, and is a Master Teacher in Integrated Energy Therapy; certified through Stevan Thayer's Center of Being. She is also a Member of The International Association of Reiki Professionals and The Canadian Reiki Association.
As a trained Animal Communicator, Pet Bereavement Counsellor and energy healer in many modalities, she has worked extensively with cats, dogs, horses, birds, and snakes, etc.
In August 2006, she received her Masters in Divinity and brings that training into the spiritual counselling aspect of her practice. In 2007, Cheryl became a certified Angel Therapy® Practitioner, certified by Doreen Virtue Ph.D. in mediumship, spiritual counselling and healing techniques.
She has an ongoing series of TV segments entitled: Your Health and Wellness Tips, airing on CKWS TV. She has also begun a series of powerful workshops for women entitled, Awaken Your Inner Goddess.
Cheryl is on the Faculty of St. Lawrence College teaching a variety of workshops.
Certified Hatha yoga teacher.
Has taught workshops / Yoga in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Bahamas and Mexico with invitations coming from Italy, Germany etc.
Created, wrote and presented over 30 workshops with Sacred Journeys.
Written numerous articles for various magazines and newsletters (i.e., Canadian Reiki Association, Within Kingston, Voices of Peace, Ontario Wellness Association).
Has created Natural Healing for Animals workshops.
http://www.sacred-journeys.ca
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Book Cover:
Comments For This Book
| Pam - 06/03/2010
I can't tell you how thankful I am that there are others out there who loves their pets as much as I do. I have been searching for those who could help me somehow be on a more closer plane, so to speak, with my beautiful animal companions. I look forward to reading your book. Thank you.
PS. I have found a teacher similar to you, her name is Lynn McKenzie and she does very similar type - Animal Energy and healing but she is in the US. All the Best and I wish you good luck with this endeavor.
Pam Clark
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| Christine - 06/03/2010
When I first heard about this book and its author, I was immediately excited about it! It's a very important book for everyone and anyone who is an animal lover and who has a pet or who has lost one and grieved its passing and not had the support & understanding from people close to them because they felt it was "only a pet", get over it already. That is the furthest thing from the truth and the fact that Cheryl gets that and is writing such a heartfelt memoir about her relationship with Willow and the spiritual element involved in our relationships with our animal companions and how to deal with their loss is just a long overdue book! I can't wait for it to come out and I can't wait for the book signing so I can buy my autographed copy! I absolutely adore Cheryl for having the courage to write it!
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| Krista - 06/10/2010
There are so many books out there about how to cope with losing family members or other people who are close to us. And yet I haven't found a book that offers support to those who lose their pets which are indeed family and loyal friends. Any book that offers support, comfort and inspiration about the joys of loving and and the grief involved in losing one's pet is timely and a gift. Thank you Cheryl for writing such a book.
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| AL - 06/12/2010
Before I lost my black lab, she was my best friend. mika was her name and i really miss her. cheryl i'm glad you are so positive about your pets. what a great thing. thanks cheryl, al
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| Noel - 06/17/2010
Russell Johnson is our nephew and friend. His recommendation alerted us to your newest book...a wonderful addition to the world of animal/human relationship. Good luck with your quest! Don and Noel Gray from Nova Scotia
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| Marina - 06/22/2010
I would like to have and read your book. It sounds great!
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| leslie - 06/23/2010
thank you for writing this book cheryl! i love my furkids and am not looking forward to the day they pass on which will hopefully be a looooong time. in fact, i tell one of them all the time that she MUST live until she is 40 :)
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| Local Page First - 06/23/2010
My pets are my family and I lost my Penny in January of 09 I miss her each and every day.
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| Claire - 06/24/2010
Good luck with this Cheryl.
id like to read your book one day
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| mark - 06/24/2010
Good luck!!!
Keep me posted so i can purchase your book!
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| Kelly - 06/26/2010
Our wonder animal companions give us their all, for their entire lives. When they pass they leave a hole in our lives that can never be filled. I am very pleased that Cheryl has written this book, it's a topic that has been avoided for far too long.
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| Mary - 06/27/2010
I lost my best friend Bear, a rescued Rott/Shepherd mix on August 1, 2008 at 11:00a.m. I will never forget that awful day. It's been almost 2 years and I still grieve hard for him. I had him cremated so he is always with me. He did not die of natural causes, I had him put to sleep because he suffered so bad with allergies. We spent thousands trying to bring him comfort to no avail. The day I made the decision was when he literally chewed the pads of his feet off leaving bloody exposed tissue and he could hardly walk. It broke my heart to see him this way and didn't want him to suffer any more. When I was at the vets office that dreadful morning, I was with him. I held him as they administered the drug through a catheter in his leg. As the lethal injection traveled through his body, within about a minute he was gone. But no one warned me of what happens to their beloved pet when injected with that poison. My Bear jerked and defecated on himself. It tore me up and immediately felt so much guilt because I killed my best friend and felt that he suffered when he died which I didn't think they did. I held him in my arms for a good 1/2 hour sobbing uncontrollably and wishing I could bring him back, but it was too late, he was gone. My best friend was gone and I grieved for a very long time. People didn't understand why I acted this way, but they didn't know my dog. I stopped jogging because Bear was my jog dog and he was always so excited everytime I put my running shoes on. He went for rides with me most everytime I went somewhere (except in summer) and he loved it. He was just the best dog and his time on this earth was short...he wasn't even 5 years old, but he suffered with his allergies for 3 years until I just couldn't stand seeing him suffer anymore. I miss him so much to this day and would give anything to bring back that day and wished I would have changed my mind. But it was a decision I made and that's the hardest thing to cope with. I have since gotten another rescue dog but he's not my Bear, although I love him dearly too. It is a catastrophic event losing a beloved pet that showed me nothing but unconditional love. He'd lick my tears when I was upset, he would listen when I complained, yet he never complained about the pain he was in. He was a trooper and will never ever be forgotten. I will always dread August 1st until the day I die. I love you & miss you so much my sweet Boo-Bear and hope we will be together again in Heaven.
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| Mary - 06/27/2010
Cheryl...please tell me when your book is available...I definitely want to purchase it so it will help me heal and cope what I did to my best friend. Thanks !
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| Jilaine - 06/27/2010
Cheryl was available to speak to me the evening I had my 13 year old Malamute, Breezy put to rest. I was absolutely beside myself - we had a mobile Vet come to our home, I had to leave during the procedure and when I returned home all that was remaining was her collar on the floor. I completely broke down and was even frightened over how totally grief stricken I was - I called Cheryl and I can't even begin to tell you how her words and way reached out to me and helped me get grounded. This book is an absolute critical tool for people to cope and gain the understanding and compassion they both need and deserve with such a significant loss. Cheryl: please let me know when I can buy a copy!!
thank you so much!
Jilaine
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| Shiri - 06/28/2010
How very important that this book come to life!! Thank you Cheryl!
Shiri Joshua, M.A., Vancover BC
(Canadian Centre for Pet Loss Bereavement)
www.PetLossSupport.ca
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| Vikki - 06/28/2010
I've lived & loved & loss many cats. You would think it would get easier, but alas, it doesn't. I have 5 kids (cats), one is 19 yrs old & deaf (the twin, she found us after the '94 earthquake), one is 18 yrs old (Sara) & still healthy. Elvis is 13, I found him abandoned at 3 wks old because he is deformed & the mother left him in a gutter, he doesn't have a full set of ribs, other than that, he is healthy. The last 2 are 5 yrs old half brothers & they are a hand full. It helped getting another cat, but the love & joy I get whenever I think of Kirk, Adam, Gilbert, Anthony, DC, Precious, & Midnight will be in my heart forever & in our home. My heart will break again, but, the memories will live forever.
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| Jordan - 06/28/2010
They are not just pets.They become a major part of your family.
To lose a friend and companion after any length of time is
very heartbraking to say the least.It's never easy to lose anyone we love.Until now I had no idea there was any book or video that could help going through such a rough time.Thanks Cheryl! I know you are helping many in your generous way of time,and caring as well as your own personal experiences and understandings.
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