Synopses & Reviews
Review
This wonderful book is the best guide I know of that can help us deal with the death of our animal companions, whom the more we love the more we will grieve.”
Dr. Michael W. Fox, veterinarian and syndicated columnist
Saying goodbye to a pet soulmate is something we dread but must inevitably accept. Goodbye, Friend offers answers that are woven into a tapestry of care, compassion, and unconditional love for the pets with whom weve shared our hearts and homes. Then, we can become much more than our pets best friend we can become healers, teachers, and angels for our friends and family when they, too, lose a beloved pet.”
Marty Becker, DVM, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lovers Soul
The death of a beloved pet is one of the hardest things to bear. This insightful and compassionate book will help readers accept the grief and move on in their lives.”
Philip Gonzalez, author of The Dog Who Rescues Cats
Uplifting, comforting, spiritual. If you have an elderly or ailing animal companion, please read this book!”
Alex Pacheco, cofounder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Synopsis
The loss of an animal companion can be a painful, wrenching experience. In
Goodbye, Friend, Gary Kowalski takes you on a journey of healing, offering warmth and sound advice on how to cope with the death of your pet. Filled with heartwarming stories and practical guidance on such matters as taking care of yourself while mourning, creating rituals to honor your pets memory, and talking to children about death,
Goodbye, Friend is a beautiful and comforting book for anyone grieving the loss of a beloved animal.
Synopsis
The final parting from a pet is a sorrow many feel they face alone. Is it appropriate to feel so sad for an animal? As cited in Goodbye, Friend, and written by Garrison Keillor, "If this is foolish, so it be." Since our companion animals are cherished family members in many a family, their loss is, of course, painful and even wrenching. In this beloved manual, Reverend Kowalski offers not just insight but also practical guidance — on honoring your own grief and helping children with theirs; ideas for rituals, ceremonies, and solace; and considering death and the continuum of life. The book shows how to appreciate the life stages and needs of the pets he — and readers — know are anything but petty.
About the Author
Gary Kowalski is a Unitarian Universalist minister in Burlington, VT. He holds degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Divinity School. A native of Oklahoma, he has served churches in Memphis, Tennessee, and Seattle, Washington, before moving to Burlington in 1989. He is the author of several books, including
The Souls of Animals, The Bible According To Noah, and
Science and the Search for God. He is married to Dori Jones, an attorney, and they have two children.