"Dear Brave Friend"

 

Megan Jones

January 20th,   2021 

"Dear Brave Friend"

Book Review 

I Read Book Tours 

"Dear Brave Friend" is a wonderful read. It is emotional, poignant, and very relatable to anyone that has lost a beloved pet. The journey to healing is told in this book so tender and honest. The narrator of this book, written in letter form is the beloved pet. The letter makes the point to say I know you are sad, and I know you miss me, and I know this is hard. Very validating. But please know I love you still. Also, the beloved pet says please do something good in my name, remembrance an act of service. Something that honors me. Most important, "Please know that I am OK," I liked how the beloved pet said that because anyone that has lost a pet, wonders this very thing. I think it makes the mourner feel better and comforted. Also, the beloved pet says Think of our time together the memories as something to keep close, and recall with fondness not sadness. This is an important tone of the book, which is I know sad, but also, hopeful. There are two touching moments in the book, one is The legitimacy of sadness. The importance of acknowledging it. It is OK to be sad and hurt. It is valuable to know in a time of such pain, the pain is OK to feel. The other is time will heal this hurt and it is OK to move on, but at your own pace. The ending of the letter closes with the beloved pet saying You have made a difference on my life. I know it's the other way. When you put your hand over your heart, thump... I am there. always and forever. I really loved this book. I cried while reading it because I lived it. It touched me so deep and I am glad Ms. Gerk wrote it. It was a great honor to read it. 

F.T.C. Title 16 Disclaimer 

"I recieved a complimentary copy of this book from I read Book Tours. I am only required to post review, though not necessarily positive or negative. I am disclosing this in accordance with Th F.T.C. Title 16, "Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Interview with  Ann Gerk, MA LPC 

1. What inspired your desire to study pet counseling?

" I chose to go a new direction within my counseling career the day my heart, Teddy, died. I had lost many cherished pets before that sad day, but connection to Teddy was unlike any other. We shared an unspoken yet unbreakable understanding and love for each other that was so reassuring so natural and immensely comforting. The The loss of teddy felt different too. After Teddy died I had the support of my family and friends, but I still yearned for another form of support. I wanted to talk to other people who could relate to what I was going through; I needed reassurance that I would be ok while navigating through my new normal. I found online pet- loss forums, which are certainly helpful but I wanted to speak with someone on a more personal level. I wanted human interaction. It occurred to me that if I was struggling to find support, so were many other grieving pet families. I wanted to help these often- forgotten families, and I thought best way I could do that was offer a free pet loss support group. The week after Teddy died, I met with the owner of "Home to Heaven" the at home end of life care service that helped Teddy transition, and asked if I could coordinate and facilitate a pet loss support group for their families. My suggestion was well recieved, and shortly after that, I was welcomed onto their team. I now faculae 3 free pet loss support groups in Northern Colorado, including one that is held at Argus Institute at CSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital. From there, I became founder and owner of "Mourning to Light Pet Loss." which offers people and family counseling to both children and adults who are struggling with the loss of their beloved pet." 

2. Why are books like "Dear Brave Friend" so important?

"Because the loss death of a treasured pet is often the first siginant loss a child experiences." 

3. Was it therapy writing "Dear Brave Friend" 

"Absolutely! Took me back to my childhood to the little farm girl who loved and lost so many pets. I often stopped to reflect more deeply upon smells, the sounds, and the way things felt to my touch growing up. To my delight, these reflections brought memories up I had not thought about for a long time." 

4. What do you hope readers learn or leave with after they read "Dear Brave Friend"? 

"I hope after reading "Dear Brave Friend" readers will have feelings of hope and strength. That they find comfort knowing that although their treasured pet is gone, the relationship with them is not. I hope they remember this beautiful relationship will live on in their hearts, where the memories now gather. I hope readers will learn to recognize their feelings, learn to grieve in a healthy manner, and learn talking about death and sadness is not be feared, but encouraged." 

5. How did the inspiration for "Dear Brave Friend" come about?

" The how became clear to me after I started counseling grieving pet families. I worked with children who didn't understand how they were feeling. I worked with parents who didn't know how to talk to their children about pet loss, death, and dying and sadness. I knew then I needed to write a book that would help children and their parents maneuver through this difficult journey." 

6. What was the writing process for "Dear Brave Friend" like?

"Dear Brave Friend" is the first book I have ever written and published. Being a first-time writer I didn't know what to expect, or even how to begin. However, I was excited to that the ideas started coming in leaps and bounds. Once I knew the direction I wanted to go, it wasn't long before I had the heart of my story written. What took longest in my writing process were the endless revisions, and coming up with a title. I thought long and hard on a title, and the one word that kept pooping into my head was "brave" One day while sitting outside, the name "Dear Brave Friend" popped into my head and I knew instantly that I found my title."