"Sacred Gifts of a Short Life", a 152 page publication, chronicles the end of life journeys of several of Dr. Liz's patients in a way that allows us all to see death from the perspective of both profound sadness, and precious sacredness.
Sacred Gifts of a Short Life takes us on an exploration of some of the difficult questions surrounding the end of life journeys of our furry loved ones. Honest, pragmatic, compassionate, empowering and refreshing, it answers questions such as: Is it time? Is surgery the best option? How do I know if my loved one is suffering? Am I selfish? Does my loved one have any quality of life? What right do I have to take a life?
Through real life examples, readers are inspired and guided to trust the "inner knowing", and are invited to look beyond the ideas of right and wrong, recognizing that each decision must be based on the exact circumstances in the moment.
One of the most profound gifts our pets offer us is an invitation for us to acknowledge death, embrace it, dance with it, live with it and ultimately die into it. Sacred Gifts of a Short Life gives us the tools to navigate this very personal journey. For those in the veterinary profession, those working with rescue organizations or within any other animal support field, death is seen up close and often. Without a good relationship with death, this can take a toll on ones psyche. Sacred Gifts of a Short Life is an invitation to approach life in a way that allows us to open to a healthy and sustainable relationship the mortality of others and also ourselves.
In celebration of our furry loved ones, those non profits who work in support of them, and those who dedicate themselves through non profit endeavors to supporting anyone negotiating these uncharted waters into formlessness, Sacred Gifts of a Short Life is intended to be used as an instrument to champion their efforts.
Animal lovers, veterinary professionals and those who work in grief counseling and bereavement have shared how profoundly grateful they are to have this book as a resource for those in need. Roy Rosenblatt shares "Cast in the light of its author's insightful commentaries, we come to see that we do have choices, and it is in the embrace of this shift of perception that Sacred Gift allows us to find our way to surrendering resistance." Bernadine Cruz, DVM acknowledges "This book will help me to better attend to the needs of my clients, their pets and equally important, me". Kathleen Ayl, Psy.D. Certified Compassion Fatigue and Pet Loss Recovery Specialist offered, "Liz is an amazing writer and a beautiful soul and this comes out very clearly in her book. I will be recommending it to my clients, and anyone faced with impending loss of a loved family member, as well as the specialists, veterinarians, and technicians with whom I work."
Death invites us to open to Love as formlessness. Birth brings Love into form. Both Birth and Death are essential for LIFE. When we find our way to fully accepting and embracing death on its terms we are gifted with a fierce Grace that opens our hearts in ways we never imagined possible. This book is an offering on how to say yes to allowing our hearts to be broken open by death to make more space for Love to flow, bringing a vitality to living that is irrepressible.
Author Biography:
Listening to the call of her heart from an early age, the author chose to pursue a life's work based on what she loved. From as early as age six she was passionate about animals and medicine. By age eight she was clear that she would be a veterinarian. After graduating from veterinary school in 1982 she worked in emergency medicine for many years. This experience, and the loss of both parents within a few years of graduating formed a foundation for seeing an abundance of end of life scenarios and the ensuing emotional challenges. In late 2001, trusting the voice within to guide her, she was inspired to study Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Over a period of several years she transitioned from the intensity of western emergency medicine to the intimacy of holistic housecall and acupuncture practice. The patient demographic of this type of practice lends itself to the geriatric patient. Thus the emphasis on end of life narratives. During this same time she was introduced to Adyashanti, a spiritual teacher with no specific religious affiliation, who offered a very clear and simple perspective about death. Resonating with these deep truths she began to share this wisdom with clients. Most often words would simply flow unbidden from her lips finding a receptive ear that would immediately find comfort and resonance with the truth of what had been spoken. Witnessing these occurrences, she began to reiterate these ideas with others, to the same effect. It was some time after that, that she found herself surrounded more and more with clients searching for ways to navigate these end of life issues. The volume of these situations brought with it much sadness. After some soul searching she asked what this sadness wanted of her. The answer that came through was that this book wanted to be written. As if to reenforce this, more than one client literally shared with her that she should "write a book"! So it became evident that this book was to be birthed. www.lizfernandezdvm.com
