A renowned psychotherapist offers parents who have suffered the death of a child a new context for understanding and coping with their loss. Miller draws on years of research to present a wide-ranging look at the rituals parents practice around the world to understand both why their child has died and to find a comforting explanation for what happens to children after death.

In this groundbreaking new work, David Kessler—an expert on grief and the coauthor with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross of the iconic On Grief and Grieving—journeys beyond the classic five stages to discover a sixth stage: meaning. In 1969, Elisabeth Kübler Ross first identified the stages of dying in her transformative book On Death and Dying. Decades later, she and David Kessler wrote the classic On Grief and Grieving, introducing the stages of grief with the same transformative pragmatism and compassion. Now, based on hard-earned personal experiences, as well as knowledge and wisdom earned through decades of work with the grieving, Kessler introduces a critical sixth stage. Many people look for “closure” after a loss. Kessler argues that it’s finding meaning beyond the stages of grief most of us are familiar with—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—that can transform grief into a more peaceful and hopeful experience. In this book, Kessler gives readers a roadmap to remembering those who have died with more love than pain; he shows us how to move forward in a way that honors our loved ones. Kessler’s insight is both professional and intensely personal. His journey with grief began when, as a child, he witnessed a mass shooting at the same time his mother was dying. For most of his life, Kessler taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about end of life, trauma, and grief, as well as leading talks and retreats for those experiencing grief. Despite his knowledge, his life was upended by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son. How does the grief expert handle such a tragic loss? He knew he had to find a way through this unexpected, devastating loss, a way that would honor his son. That, ultimately, was the sixth state of grief—meaning. In Finding Meaning, Kessler shares the insights, collective wisdom, and powerful tools that will help those experiencing loss. Finding Meaning is a necessary addition to grief literature and a vital guide to healing from tremendous loss. This is an inspiring, deeply intelligent must-read for anyone looking to journey away from suffering, through loss, and towards meaning.

Whether a death is sudden or anticipated, losing a loved one shakes us to our very core, destroying our belief in a just, safe, and predictable world. Grief often changes us quickly both physically and mentally. It is like being kidnapped and suddenly transported to a foreign land without luggage, a passport, or the language to make sense of what's happening. Even if you have a road map for getting through the pain and anguish, you still have to take the trip. The purpose of this book is to help you find threads of hope that will assist your recovery and help you carry on. By sharing inspirational stories, personal experiences, and professional advice from contributors to theOpen to Hope website, we trust that you will be comforted and inspired by learning how others dealt with their losses, what they saw as roadblocks, and how they handled them as well as what it has taken for them to not only survive, but thrive. We want to help you resume leading the life that you were meant to live--a life of satisfaction and one driven by a belief in your own personal power for change.

Preston and Glenda Parrish experienced the sudden death of their 25-year-old son, Nathan, in the same week that Preston’s father died. In Finding Hope in Times of Grief, the Parrishes candidly share their story and the struggles they faced, as well as how they found hope in Christ and in the pages of the Bible. Writing not from theory but from experience, the Parrishes come alongside others who grieve, pointing them to God’s all-sufficient grace, grace that is great enough to infuse even their worst moments with His comfort. This book will help those who grieve to know God’s presence and peace in the midst of their suffering realize that hope still exists and can be known understand that their suffering can assume a place of purpose in their life and in the lives of others Finding Hope in Times of Grief points readers to the surpassing hope we have in Christ and the comfort that comes ultimately from God Himself. This book will also help family members and friends better understand how to support those who grieve.

When a young boy learns the news of his Father's sudden death, pain and sorrow become abruptly real. His carefree childhood is instantly altered as his once 'normal' world is turned upside down. His grief carries him through a wide range of emotions until one day he finally finds healing within and a way to hold onto his memories. A highly relatable and ultimately triumphant book that helps children reflect on the loss of a parent and find a healthy way to accept and move forward.

A true story of hope in the midst of great personal tragedy. Losing Cooper ? Finding Hope to Grieve Well, is the moving story of the Jasper family after the tragic death of their five-year-old son Cooper. The book chronicles their journey through darkness, but offers real hope to anyone experiencing trouble, trials or tragedy. It shows how a strong Christian family deals with shock, loss and grief from a Biblical perspective.

A couple who has faced the bitter task of burying two of their three children explores the family dynamics involved when a loved one dies, showing how grief can pull a family closer together rather than tearing it apart. Original.