Sara Burden

Erik's Hope: the Leash That Led Me to Freedom Sara Burden

Is it true that love never dies? Erik's Hope: The Leash that Led Me to Freedom is a fictional account based on the true story of a young woman's transformational journey, assisted by her beloved dog, Erik. The book chronicles Andrea's shift from a high-performing professional with little regard for matters of the heart to a passionate and caring expert in personal leadership change and growth. Erik's rescue from the pound in Phoenix was far from happenstance, though Andrea could not comprehend the impact of her decision to adopt the mangy wolf-dog. He was a handful from the start, immediately testing her readiness to fully engage in life's joys and trials. Slowly Erik begins to thaw Andrea's heart as she experiences his unconditional love. The dog has secret 'conversations' each evening with his spirit guide, White Wolf. White Wolf coaches Erik and in turn Erik translates White Wolf's wise counsel into lessons for Andrea. The biggest lesson of all comes with Erik's eventual death, which proves to be Andrea's moment of truth, her test of faith. At rock bottom, suffering the wellspring of grief from every loss she had experienced to date in her life, White Wolf appears to Andrea in a dream, offering a hopeful promise. Erik's Hope is a primer for navigating the emotional tides of life, disguised as a page-turning story. Readers relate to its everyday themes and take away meaningful insights for their own lives. The lessons include: Life's answers lie inside of us and are available in any moment. The present moment is the key to transcending suffering. Each one of us is part of a collective fabric. This connectedness combined with genuine self acceptance and compassion for other living beings can change the world, one moment at a time.