Dear Maylissa -
Thank you for sharing your story and your question to me regarding Mr. Jazz and the after-life. I have had many, many cats (and other assorted pets) in the course of my 50 plus years of life and Mr. Jazz is the only one to ever come to me after his transition. It was quite an experience for me and I share it in detail in the book. The sightings have lessened in time, but I still sense his presence around me on occassion and I take great comfort from them. As far as finding the book hard for you to read, I can't lie and say it won't be difficult at times. It will. Writing it was very hard for me, but eventually the pain was replaced with a sense of great peace and comfort and it was very cathartic for me.
I just got a review on Amazon that I think will answer your question if you should read the book or not. It is from someone who recently had to cross her cat over the Bridge - she read the book and her review sums up exactly why I decided to write the book:
"I bought this book when it was recommended to me just a couple weeks after the loss of my beloved kitty Taz. I have to admit, my loss was recent, the hurting so fresh that I didn't make it past the second sentence of Mr. Jazz's foreward! But healing is a process and much like continuing therapy, I soon kept reading and found myself absorbed in the life of Mr. Jazz.
Whether you've had a pet, wanted a pet, lost a pet or are about to lose a pet, every reader will find something to cherish in the life story as told by Mr. Jazz himself. As a reader who has recently "helped a cat to Rainbow Bridge" I found it comforting to view the experience through the eyes of a cat. I found so many similarities to my situation and though I had to go through the book slowly and often had to put it away for a time because the pain was too raw, it was definitely beneficial in the healing process. Having never dealt with the long illness and eventual loss of a pet, it was comforting to read another "person's" experiences. It was like a warm blanket that I clutched, at times and cried - for me, for my beloved Taz, for Mr. Jazz and for Deborah and her entire family. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is having difficulty dealing with the illness or loss of their beloved pet. And for anyone looking for a warm, fuzzy story filled with a short lifetime of happiness, sadness and all of life's ups and downs and experiences, through the eyes of a cat of course, this is a wonderful book. In her writing, Deborah Barnes shares the knowledge she has gained through the lives and experiences of the many pets she has loved and lost. Her writing is unique and uplifting. I'm looking forward to ordering "The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey" and would buy anything Deborah writes in the future! Great book! 5 stars by me. Thanks Deborah for helping to heal my heart, one tiny paw print at a time..."
I hope this answered your questions and your response to rand64 was absolutely beautiful...
