Showing titles in Grief & Loss

The death of someone we hold dear may be inevitable; being paralyzed by our grief is not. A growing body of research has revealed our capacity for resilient grieving, our innate ability to respond to traumatic loss by finding ways to grow - by becoming more engaged with our lives, and discovering new, profound meaning.

Our pets are part of the family. For many they're as close as children; for some they may be our only children. And while most of us can expect that our children will outlive us, sadly, our pets almost never do. Losing a pet can be as difficult as losing any other family member; we grieve, we miss them, and, mostly, we want closure, to know that our furry, feathered, or scaled friends are okay, wherever they are. For years, animal communicator Sonya Fitzpatrick has helped pet owners cope with the loss of their beloved companions. Many of them ask the same questions: Is my pet happy?

The grieving process is part of being human, but far too often, Christian grievers are pushed out of grief and rushed into rejoicing that their loved one is in heaven. Alternately, Christians who allow themselves to grieve openly are shamed for doing so, often resulting in turning away from faith. It is time for a better way to acknowledge that you can struggle with grief and still love God. For grievers, helpers, and those wanting to better understand loss, let Faith Doesn’t Erase Grief help you embrace the fullness of grief and discover the first steps toward hope.

On November 3, 2020, Tim and Aileen Challies received the shocking news that their son Nick had died. A twenty-year-old student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, he had been participating in a school activity with his fiancée, sister, and friends, when he fell unconscious and collapsed to the ground. Neither students nor a passing doctor nor paramedics were able to revive him. His parents received the news at their home in Toronto and immediately departed for Louisville. While on the plane, Tim began to process his loss through writing.

Being suddenly thrust into the world of parental grief is like being transported to a foreign land where you don't speak the language. With that in mind, Claire Aagaard has written When a Child Dies in a simple, straightforward manner, offering information, comfort, and hope for those who believe that none is possible.

In late 2021, Diane Foley sat at a table across from her son's killer, Alexanda Kotey, a member of the ISIS group known as "The Beatles" who plead guilty to the kidnapping, torture, and murder of her son seven years before. Kotey was about to go serve life imprisonment and this was Diane’s chance to talk to the man who had been involved with brutally taking her son's last breath. What would she say to his killer? What would he reveal to her? Might she even be able to summon forgiveness for him? So begins American Mother.

This guided imagery and affirmations for anyone dealing with grief provides a powerful way of coping with loss naturally and holistically, helping to release sorrow and gently move beyond the pain of bereavement to grief recovery, in whatever way and for however long it takes each listener. This guided meditation helps the mind and body to relax and release sorrow, reduce feelings of loneliness, encourage eventual acceptance of a new reality, promote skills for coping with grief, and create space for nourishing memories to provide solace, hope, energy and inspiration for the future.

Before May 31, 2008, September Vaudrey's life was beautiful. But on that day, with one phone call from the ER, her whole world - everything she knew and believed - was shaken to the core. Katie, her 19-year-old artist daughter, had been in a car accident and would not survive. How does a family live in the wake of devastating tragedy? When darkness colors every moment, is it possible to find light? Can God still be good, even after goodbye?

When the oldest of Kate Braestrup's four children was 10 years old, her husband, a Maine state trooper, was killed in a car accident. Stunned and grieving, she decided to pursue her husband's dream of becoming a Unitarian minister. She eventually began working with the Maine Game Warden Service, which conducts the state's search-and-rescue operations when people go missing in the wilderness.

Over the course of 10 lectures, Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, a research professor at Arizona State University and founder of the MISS Foundation, explores the nuances of grief and grieving, particularly within our often grief-avoidant culture.

That Julie Yip-Williams survived infancy was a miracle. Then, at age 37, with two little girls at home, Julie was diagnosed with terminal metastatic colon cancer, and a different journey began. The Unwinding of the Miracle is the story of a vigorous life refracted through the prism of imminent death. When she was first diagnosed, Julie Yip-Williams sought clarity and guidance through the experience and, finding none, began to write her way through it - a chronicle that grew beyond her imagining.

"I'm not picking up a heartbeat." These are the most dreaded words an expectant mother can hear. As joy and anticipation dissolve into confusion and grief, painful questions refuse to go away: Why me? Did I do something wrong? How will this affect my ability to have a family? What do I say to my children without scaring them? With the warmth and compassion of a Licensed Professional Counselor and writing as a mother who has suffered the loss of a baby and a 16-year-old son, Pam Vredevelt offers sound answers and advice.

On March 3, 2017, Amy Krouse Rosenthal penned a Modern Love column for the New York Times - "You May Want to Marry My Husband". It appeared 10 days before her death from ovarian cancer. A heartbreaking, wry, brutally honest, and creative play on a personal ad - in which a dying wife encouraged her husband to go on and find happiness after her demise - the column quickly went viral, reaching more than five million people worldwide.

Death might seem to render pointless all our attempts to create a meaningful life. Doesn't meaning require transcending death through an afterlife or in some other way? On the contrary, Dean Rickles argues, life without death would be like playing tennis without a net. Only constraints—and death is the ultimate constraint—make our actions meaningful. In Life Is Short, Rickles explains why the finiteness and shortness of life is the essence of its meaning-and how this insight is the key to making the most of the time we do have.

Join former Navy Commander and evidential medium Suzanne Giesemann and her husband, Ty, a retired US Navy captain, on a healing journey with three other couples, brought together by their children in the spirit world. These inspiring parents serve as shining examples of those who have experienced the devastating loss of a child, but whose joy in life has been restored through the awareness that their children continue to participate actively in their lives.

This audiobook will help you take necessary steps to gain the capacity for proactive action. You don't have to waste any more time beating yourself up over what has already happened; Instead, your mind and emotions need to be free to focus on what really matters in the present. In this audiobook, I'm going to help you reflect more realistically on what you need to forgive yourself for, and why you have a right to forgive yourself.

When someone you know is hurting, you want to let them know that you care. But many people don't know what words to use - or are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. This thoughtful, instructive guide, from empathy expert Dr. Kelsey Crowe and greeting card maverick Emily McDowell, blends well-researched, actionable advice with the no-nonsense humor and the signature style of McDowell's immensely popular Empathy Cards to help you feel confident in connecting with anyone experiencing grief, loss, illness, or any other difficult situation.

This paradigm-shattering book will free you from the forces that would turn you into a victim. It will lead you step by step through a simple process that will free you from the pain of the past and protect you from the pain of the future.

A practicing neurosurgeon and award-winning author shares his roadmap to finding hope and even happiness when the worst happens—by placing trust in God—in this powerful memoir of personal tragedy, grief, and recovery.

One woman's journey through unbearable loss. A true story.