Sheridan - Animals and the Afterlife

Copyright 2003 by Kim Sheridan

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: orders@psdprom.co.za www.hayhouse.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Design: Jameth Sheridan and Kim Sheridan

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical/veterinary advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a doctor or veterinarian, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sheridan, Kim.

Animals and the afterlife: true stories of our best friends journey beyond death / Kim Sheridan.

p. cm.

Originally published: Escondido, Calif.: EnLighthouse Pub., c2003

ISBN-10: 1-4019-0889-6 (tradepaper)

ISBN-13: 978-1-4019-0889-8 (trade)

1. Animal ghosts. 2. Future lifeMiscellanea. I. Title.

BF 1484.S54 2006

133.9013dc22

2005050289

eISBN 13: 978-1-4019-2888-9

ISBN 13: 978-1-4019-0889-8

ISBN 10: 1-4019-0889-6

12 11 10 09 10 9 8 7

1st printing, January 2006

7th printing, April 2009

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated

To anyone who has ever loved and lost an animal.

To anyone who has ever been told, Its just an animal.

To all of the animals on Earth and in Heaven.

And especially to June, the little angel in fur who found me when I was lost, put me back on my path, and showed me the way.

Authors Note

ANIMALS AND THE AFTERLIFE is more than a compilation of random stories; rather, it is the culmination of my personal journeyone that has brought me incredible comfort and understanding. My goal in writing this book is to share this comfort and understanding with those who seek it.

I have designed this book to follow a specific orderthe chapters build upon each other, and the stories are interwoven with my personal journey and commentary. So, as tempting as it may be to jump around from story to story, I highly recommend reading the book in chronological order, from beginning to end. Reading the stories within the context of the greater whole will lend greater insight to the reader, greater credibility to the stories, and above all, greater healing for those in grief.

Many of you may be skepticaland a good dose of healthy skepticism is always helpful in a world of conflicting opinions. As you will soon discover, mine has been a journey from open-minded child to grieving skeptic, and ultimately, to comforted believer. Now, I invite you to join me on this journey.

Kim Sheridan

Contents

EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN ME that it truly does take a lot longer to write a book than to read one. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone involved in finally making this book a reality.

Thanks to my wonderful family for making it possible for me to step away from my former obligations as I embarked upon this journey. Thanks for your time and invaluable assistance as my projected six-month project became a seven-year all-consuming endeavor.

Thanks to Mom and Dad, who always allowed me to chart my unique path, which was often far from your own, and who continue to support me every step of the way. You are not only the most wonderful parents I could have ever asked for, you are the best friends a person could have.

Dad: Thanks for all of your priceless assistance in building and maintaining the Rat Refugeand so many other important thingsas my time grew more and more scarce. Thanks for doing whatever needed to be done, and never complaining. Your grandrats love you, too!

Mom: Thanks for taking over the important tasks that I knew would be safe in your hands. You made it possible for me to finally step away and finish this book, knowing that everything would be taken care of. Thanks for your invaluable feedback on the manuscript all the while.

Thanks to my husband, Jameth, my best friend and dream come true who has helped to make subsequent dreams come true. Thanks for taking over the business we started together so that I could focus on this project. Thanks for your support, countless hours, and priceless feedback on the manuscript as it gradually evolved into a book. Thanks for keeping me fed as I spent every dayand most nightsin front of the computer. Thanks for doing the dishes, the laundry, and so much else. Thanks, also, for being my amazing computer guru, and for staying up all night with me in front of the computer so many nights during the final year of this enormous project.

Thanks to my brother and lifelong friend, Scott, and my friends, Gina, Demetre, Mike, and Jaye, for helping out with the Rat Refuge during the final weeks and months of this project, when my time became ever more scarce and thanks for caring.

Thanks to Michelle Sass (Junes Other Mom) for trusting me with an angel.

Thanks to Coral Kingwell for connecting me with Michelle on that fateful day.