Pet loss is a subject that by nature opens itself up to many different opinions and personal interpretations. Those who subscribe to an organized religion will get something out of this book as well as someone who is secular, someone who chooses to not identify with a specific religion and those who consider themselves to be spiritual as opposed to religious. There is not heavy talk of scripture, or God, or Jesus, or Buddha. There is just some comforting words at a time when they are most needed.
The Colors of the Rainbow Bridge for Healing
The basic premise of the book stems from the theme of bridges and rainbows. Everyone who experiences pet loss has most likely been given the poem, The Rainbow Bridge, for healing and comfort. We are told that The Rainbow Bridge is the place where we will all be reunited with our pets again after death.
The main theme of the Rainbow Bridge is worked into this book by breaking it up into sections named for the colors of the rainbow. Thus, the section on blue relates to organic grieving, which means grieving on one's own terms for as long as necessary. The blue section also covers all the generally accepted psychological processes of grief. The next section is the red section, covering memories. This section allows for the pet owner to remember and honor the life and memory of his pet. Finally, the yellow section represents all of the spiritual aspects of a pet who has passed.
Not only do the colors of the rainbow bridge figure into the book, the concept of bridges plays an important role as well. The authors use various types of bridges such as covered, swinging and golden as metaphors for uniting the living with the deceased.
Meditations and Memorial Services for Beloved Pets
Most useful were the exercises provided to the reader throughout each of the chapters. There are an abundance of affirmations and well-written, meaningful meditations on all degrees of pet loss grief, as well as practical advice about how to hold a pet memorial service.
The meditations run the gamut: conjuring up memories of one's pet, envisioning what one's pet is doing in the afterlife, and envisioning peace for our furry friends. All of the affirmations and meditations are nicely collected in the appendix for easy reference.
The Anderson's offer three memorial services that can be tweaked to fit the reader's personal situation and preferences. Some are more religious in their tone and language, while others take a more secular approach. They all do well to comfort those going through a personal pet loss and they all offer comfort. The nice thing about these pre-written memorials is that the grieving pet parent can choose the parts of the ceremony they like and choose not to incorporate the rest. There are a lot of options when it comes to planing the perfect service.
What worked about this book is that first and foremost it was not condescending. Nor does it rehash the stages of grief in a choppy way by simply substituting human grief for that of a beloved companion animal. It offers words of comfort for those who have experienced the loss of their pet from a loving and kind-hearted place of compassion.
Book Stats
Saying Goodbye to Your Angel Animals: Finding Comfort after Losing Your Pet by Allen Anderson and Linda Anderson
ISBN: 1577316266
New World Library, 2008
Paperback, 160 pages
Lisa Rufle - If I had to describe myself in one word, it would easily be: curious. So as a natural extension of my curiosity, reading is my life's ...
