To the Moon and Back...to Me

When I picked you up, I knew you were entering my world from my dreams, but I didn't begin to know just how precious the cargo, you sitting by-and lying on-me. I brought you home to complete our family. I didn't know then you were coming home to complete me. Often spiritual and utterly inspirational, Christine Hassing's poetic memoir describes the marathon runner's journey toward acceptance of the physical loss of her beloved family member, a dog named Roo, and acknowledgment of the powerful, ongoing emotional connection she continues to share with her. Written in a flowing, rhythmic, and at times, rhyming style, this meditative reflection on hope, faith, and love is much more than a tribute to a lost loved one. It's about moving beyond past hurts, nourishing the self, learning forgiveness, and discovering and nurturing love in the form of two- and four-legged creatures who remain "forever by our sides." To the Moon and Back…To Me: What I Learned from Four Running Feet is a moving testimony written in journal form that illustrates how it is possible to uncover meaning, messages, and gratitude in nature and find our way back to self-acceptance by embracing the bumps and the beauty in the road.