postheadericon MORE ON A JOURNEY IN GRIEF

MORE ON A JOURNEY IN GRIEF:

LOSING A BELOVED DOG OR OTHER BELOVED PET

First a personal photo memoir followed by the listing and a partial description of a few books to help one through the grief process.  It is never easy to lose a beloved;  I still see all the faces of mine and know they are waiting for me with all my beloved family and friends who have gone before me.

My Wendy—My Heart

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A Few of Our Beloveds Never to Be Forgotten

Waiting at the Rainbow Bridge

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My Al with His Favorites from Our  First Bonnie in the Hotel Bed in England in 1989 to His Last Favorite Pistol in Bed Before My Beloved Al Passed

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We all endure the pain of loss and grief whether the loss be of family, friends or beloved pets, in this case, dogs. Our beloved Dogs.  I still mourn my childhood pets: dogs, horses, cats, and a couple of wonderful ducks; most of all I mourn my dogs.  When people to me wanting another dog, but not knowing if they can go through the pain of loss again, I always tell them:  “One must endure the pain of losing beloved dogs in order to have the joy of having them.”  It is never easy.  The loss of my Wendy last summer was certainly not as difficult as losing my Al two summers ago, but it hurt as she was my constant companion for almost fifteen years as I expressed in a previous blog post. 

I would like to devote some time to exploring some of the books on grief that have been written about the total sadness overcoming and sometimes consuming one  at the loss of a pet.

I was asked to judge the Dog Writers Of America’s annual book review last year.  My first choice and the book that won first place for the best human/animal bond book was the following:

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a 30 day guide to healing from the loss of your pet by Gael J. Ross, LCSW, is a powerful journal on the loss of a beloved.  I found this book even helpful when I lost Al.  Journaling is always a way to deal with grief and other emotions as a part of the healing process.  Using a guide to journal entries, memories, photos and more, this book chronicles the life and loss of a beloved dog.  I usually have a few copies on hand to give to those who come to me after losing a dog.  Amazon carries this book and it is well worth the purchase and the journey.

The books featured in this post on grief are all available on Amazon and are all helpful in dealing with the heartache of loss. 

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By the way, grief does go both ways.

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postheadericon IF YOU ARE MY AGE, YOU WILL REMEMBER

Oh my, I can remember all of these so well especially the stupid S & H stamps and the ice cube tray!

 

Your entire childhood in one email….

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  45 rpm spindles                      Green Stamps                             Metal Ice cube trays
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    Beany and Cecil                       Roller-skate keys                              Cork pop guns
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    Marlin Perkins                   Drive in  Movies                              Drive  in restaurants
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            Car Hops                              Studebakers                                 Topo Gigio
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    Washtub wringers           The Fuller Brush Man        Sky King                     Reel-To-Reel tape recorders
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    Tinkertoys                           Erector Sets Lincoln Logs
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  15 cent hamburgers                    5 cent packs of baseball cards                          Penny candy
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  25 cent a gallon gasoline                                     Jiffy Pop popcorn               5 cent stamps
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   Gum wrapper chains Chatty Cathy dolls 5 cent Cokes
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         Speedy Alka-Seltzer Cigarettes for Christmas           Falstaff Beer
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   Burma Shave signs              Brownie camera                                       Flash bulbs
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      TV Test patterns Old Yeller Chef Boy-AR-dee
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         Fire escape tubes                         Timmy and Lassie Ding Dong Avon calling
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      Brylcreem  Aluminum Christmas Trees
If you can remember most or all of these, then you’ve been around a while. 

Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their ‘grown-up’ life.