When I first learned about Cathryn Michon's highly acclaimed, brilliantly written and illustrated new book I'm Still Here: A Dog's Purpose Forever, I couldn't wait to get my eyes on it, and I am thrilled I did. I learned a lot from reading it, and it reminded me of other discussions of how to deal with the loss of a companion animal and how to heal from different forms of grief. Here's what Cathryn had to say about her highly inspirational, healing, and happy book that is full of love and joy.
Marc Bekoff: Why did you write I'm Still Here: A Dog's Purpose Forever?
Cathryn Michon: My husband, W. Bruce Cameron, author of A Dog's Purpose, asked me to write it because we both felt there were no books out there about losing a dog that were told from the dog's point of view. After having co-written three feature films together from a dog's point of view, he felt that I was the perfect person to offer comfort with a gorgeous graphic companion book to his original novel. When someone has lost a dog, who better to comfort a grieving human than an angel dog who wants you to know that they are still *here* even as they are also *there* across the rainbow bridge, running free, without pain, with all the people and animal souls you have loved?
This angel dog has some amazing perspectives. He knows that dogs don't live as long as people do, but he thinks it's a good thing, because that way dogs can go first and show people that it's "no big deal."
I believe in the eternal life of our souls, both humans’ and animals’, so I........