Advice from One Grieving Mom to Others When Kim’s three-year-old son tragically passed away, she found plenty of resources on grieving. She says what she really needed, though, "was someone who would give me advice for living, not just grieving . . . How do I get through the grocery store without crying? What do I do with my son’s things? When will my mind stop replaying the emergency room scene?" Now, ten years later, she’s written that book. With raw vulnerability, a deep well of wisdom, and the practical knowledge of someone who’s been there, she walks grieving moms through the life-after-death process from how to plan the funeral to how to deal with friends, family, holidays, and birthdays. This is a profound and powerful resource that’s invaluable for the mom who has lost a child—and for her friends and family who want to love her well.

When T.J. Wray lost her 43-year-old brother, her grief was deep and enduring and, she soon discovered, not fully acknowledged. Despite the longevity of adult sibling relationships, surviving siblings are often made to feel as if their grief is somehow unwarranted. After all, when an adult sibling dies, he or she often leaves behind parents, a spouse, and even children—all of whom suffer a more socially recognized type of loss. Based on the author's own experiences, as well as those of many others, Surviving the Death of a Sibling helps adults who have lost a brother or sister to realize that they are not alone in their struggle. Just as important, it teaches them to understand the unique stages of their grieving process, offering practical and prescriptive advice for dealing with each stage. In Surviving the Death of a Sibling, T.J. Wray discusses: • Searching for and finding meaning in your sibling's passing • Using a grief journal to record your emotions • Choosing a grief partner to help you through tough times • Dealing with insensitive remarks made by others Warm and personal, and a rich source of useful insights and coping strategies, Surviving the Death of a Sibling is a unique addition to the literature of bereavement.

Losing a child is one of the most difficult and devastating events that anyone could ever experience. The heartache, the pain, and the overwhelming waves of emotion and grief may overtake your life. Grieving is a process, a journey, and no one should walk through the grieving process alone. Surviving Grief is a guide to help grieving parents cope, and find ways to face the sorrow, heal, and persevere through the journey. You must allow yourself permission to grieve. Healing comes from doing the tangible and healthy things that allow you to face the reality of your loss and still maintain the love and memory of your child. With the help of this book and the strength of the Lord, may you find comfort and healing to cope with the incredible loss in your life.

What can the few remaining survivors of the Holocaust teach us before they are gone? What is it that hasn't yet been said? A high school teacher is given the opportunity to find out when one such survivor chooses her to preserve her final testament. In The Risk of Sorrow, Valerie Foster, an Irish-Catholic public school teacher, takes us on a compelling journey through her complex relationship with Helen Handler, a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz in her eighties, who challenges her to listen as she bares her soul about one of history's greatest atrocities. More than a Holocaust memoir, The Risk of Sorrow is an intimate conversation between two women of different generations and cultures who together examine deep questions of faith, forgiveness, love and survival, and find a profound friendship in their mutual exploration. In Helen's words and actions, we discover a defiant public witness and philosopher of the Holocaust with a mission to teach our children values that should never be forgotten. But through Valerie's eyes, we also see the beautifully fragile woman, deeply traumatized by her experiences, and who must, each day, find the strength to love and to live with the risk of sorrow. "The Risk of Sorrow may well prove to be a classic of post-Holocaust survivor literature, as it transcends memoir and invites us to listen in on a conversation that is of a loving friendship, made from a telling of unimaginable loss and nearly incomprehensible rebirth. It celebrates the courage of life during and after the Holocaust, with unblinking candor of the horror and goodness of humanity." --- David Kader, co-founder of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association and professor of law at Arizona State University "This is a beautiful, honest portrayal not only of survival, but of a friendship built from the telling of such a devastating experience. Foster brings Helen's voice to life, exemplifying her strength and drive to teach everyone she meets just how fragile life can be. Haunting, but a story that must be told." --- Kim Klett, Regional Education Corps, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum "Among the most powerful narratives on the Holocaust, a new and brilliant classic emerges: The Risk of Sorrow. Valerie Foster's interviews with Helen Handler, a survivor, are heart-wrenching, searing, and above all, real. The story pulls us back to a time that no one should forget. The powerful Foster/Handler stories will remain with me forever." --- David N. Bernstein, PhD "In The Risk of Sorrow," Valerie Foster reveals the story of her friendship with Auschwitz survivor Helen Handler. Conversation by conversation, they journey in recording Helen's inspiring biography, her legacy. A stirring reminder of the power of friendship and the strength of the human spirit." --- Emily S. Groeber, literature teacher at Red Mountain High School

An insightful, compassionate account of the grieving process thathelps us through the pain and isolation experienced with the lossof a loved one.. We're never really prepared for the loss ofsomeone we love. Thrown into a state of emotional chaos weexperience rage, guilt, anxiety, and intense sadness all at once.It's the oldest story in the world, we tell ourselves -- millionsof people have had to cope with this before -- and yet, we alwaysbelieve that what we are experiencing is unique to us. We feelisolated in our anguish and often ashamed of what we are feeling. Aprofoundly compassionate and insightful book, Surviving Grief.& Learning to Live Again offers you the support andunderstanding you need to get you through this difficult time.Written by Dr. Catherine Sanders, a therapist and researcherspecializing in bereavement issues and one who has lived throughthe loss of close family members, it helps you to see that what youare feeling is part of a natural process of readjustment andrenewal. According to Dr. Sanders, grieving, like any other naturalregenerative process, must be allowed to run its proper course ifwe are ever to regain our equilibrium and continue on with ourlives. To help us better understand the process, she describes thefive universal phases of grief: Shock, Awareness of Loss,Conservation and The Need to Withdraw, Healing, and Renewal, andguides us through each. Drawing directly from her own experiencesand those of her clients and her research studies, she delvesdeeply and compassionately into the different experiences of grief,and talks about what it means to lose a mate, a parent, or a child.And she discusses the factors that can have an influence on thegrieving process, such as age, gender, and the circumstancessurrounding the loved one's death.

The Grief Survival Handbook guides one through and explores the bewildering phases of grief. Denial, depression, anger, hopelessness, insomnia and fatigue are only a few of the distressing emotions and symptoms experienced by those who are struggling under the load of bereavement. Mourning is a distressing reaction to an experience which all must face at some point in life - the loss of a loved one. D. Keith Cobb, M.D. presents true life examples of those who have faced the dark nights of bereavement and offers a physician’s guidance in navigating toward brighter days. For mourners and their emotional support network of family and friends, this book is a must-read.

Losing someone you love feels like you are adrift at sea – lost and alone. You are overcome by sorrow and heartache and unsure of how to continue life without them. Gary Sturgis writes with deep insight about the journey of love and loss and how to chart a course to healing. Through his work facilitating support groups and conducting workshops, he shares what he has learned on a personal level in an honest and heart-felt way. He offers advice and encouragement to those of us grieving the loss of a loved one. Gary takes us through the physical and emotional effects of grief, helping us to navigate its difficult aspects while teaching us to recover during the process. He offers a comforting hand to help us steer through the rough waters he has experienced since his loss. By sharing his own reflections and those of people he has encountered along the way, he puts the issues of life and death in perspective and ultimately gives us courage to move forward. Although we may never totally accept our loss or recover from our grief, Gary helps us find hope in the aftermath.