On a mid-October evening, a group of fathers gathered around a conference table and met each other for the first time. None of the men had ever thought of himself a "support group kind of guy" and each felt entirely out of place. In fact, nothing about their lives felt normal anymore. The Group: Seven Widowed Fathers Reimagine Life chronicles the challenges and triumphs of seven men whose wives died from cancer and were left to raise their young children entirely on their own. Brought together by tragedy, the fathers - Neill, Dan, Bruce, Karl, Joe, Steve, and Russ - forged an uncommon bond. Over time, group meetings evolved into a forum for reinvention and transformed the men in unexpected ways. Through the fathers' poignant interactions, The Group illustrates that while some wounds never fully heal, each of us has the potential to construct a new and meaningful future. Rosenstein and Yopp, co-leaders of the support group, weave together the fathers' stories with contemporary research on grief and adaptation. The Group traces a compelling journey of healing and personal discovery that no book has ever captured before. The men's touching efforts to care for their families, grieve for their wives, and reimagine their futures will inspire anyone who has suffered a major loss.
If you think this is just another book about coping with the loss of a partner... You're in for a surprise! Based on her long-running class "Gaining Traction," grief counselor Vicki Panagotacos delivers a step-by-step program that will open your eyes to a new way of life. Panagotacos helps you think clearly about what you want - and don't want - as you move forward after loss. Tapping into personal stories told in her classroom, backed by research that reveals what secretly drives many of our decisions, Panagotacos gets you emotionally prepared to go after the life you deserve. So, if you have a busy calendar but little joy... if you're constantly second-guessing yourself... if the thought of another relationship makes you cringe... by the end of this book you will: have the tools to harness anxiety and deal with uncertainty; be ready to commit to experiences not previously considered; and know when to say "yes" or "no" to that new relationship. As a professional who has focused on helping those who experience loss, and as a person who is in my third year of grieving the loss of my spouse, I recommend Gaining Traction without reservation. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone who has lost a life partner and particularly good for those who are beyond their first year after loss and think there is something wrong with them because they don't feel better. Counselors will also find this user-friendly volume a "must-have" reference. - Janice Nadeau, PhD FT, Psychologist, Marriage and Family Therapist Vicki Panagotacos has an uncanny ability to tune in to her clients, which makes her one of the best grief practitioners I have known. She is eloquent and accurate in meeting each individual where they are emotionally - offering courage and hope for healing. Her caring, supportive and wise presence has translated well into her book, Gaining Traction. Read it and then pass it on to another you know and love. - Lyn Prashant, PhD FT, Somatic Grief Specialist Panagotacos has listened well and thought clearly and compassionately about how to gently guide individuals back toward a full life after the death of their mate. Readers will feel Vicki's understanding of their complex experience and be enriched by her suggestions for imaginative thought and action. Excellent for clients and for pastors, therapists and counselors. I recommend this book to colleagues and friends with a full heart. - Eric Greenleaf PhD, Psychologist and Director, Milton H. Erickson Institute of the SF Bay Area Vicki has been a gift to us here at Pathways Home Health and Hospice, and Gaining Traction has been the foundation of our 2nd year partner loss program she helped create. Her book provides inspiration and a much needed resource for those who are challenged to rebuild their lives without their loved ones. I am thrilled that others will have the benefit of her meaningful and helpful book. - Chris Taich, MSW, LCSW, Director, Bereavement Services, Pathways Home Health and Hospice, Sunnyvale, CA Gaining Traction offers the bereaved spouse/partner hope on their grief journey and practical insight into how to move forward in a healthy manner. The reader will appreciate the reflections of those having struggled in their first year of loss and their transformation after participating in the author's second year class. - Brad Leary, LCSW, CT, Director, Social Services and Counseling, Hospice of the Valley, San Jose, CA Vicki Panagotacos clearly understands the emotions and challenges a person faces when dealing with one's grief. She brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to this book, and provides helpful tips and suggestions for navigating the future after partner loss. - Dwight Wilson, CEO, Mission Hospice, San Mateo, CA"
A book of poems to help those who have lost a loved one. Written from her heart, the author expresses her feelings after losing her husband of thirty five years.
A lawyer and venture capitalist provides a complete, practical guide for dealing with the concrete details surrounding the death of a loved one, from funeral and estate planning to navigating the complexities of online identities. Scott Taylor Smith, a venture capitalist and lawyer, had plentiful resources, and yet after his mother died, he made a series of agonizing and costly mistakes in squaring away her affairs. He could find countless books that dealt with caring for the dying and the emotional fallout of death, but very few that dealt with the logistics. In the aftermath of his mother’s death, Smith decided to write the book he wished he’d had. When Someone Dies provides readers with a crucial framework for making good, informed, money-saving decisions in the chaotic thirty days after a loved one dies and beyond. It provides essential, concrete guidance on: • Making funeral and memorial service arrangements • Writing an obituary • Estate planning • Contacting family and friends • Handling your loved one’s online footprint • Navigating probate • Dealing with finances, including trusts and taxation • And much, much more Featuring concise checklists in each chapter, this guide offers answers to practical questions, enabling loved ones to save time and money and focus on healing.
Challenging conventional wisdom on grief, a pioneering therapist offers a new resource for those experiencing loss When a painful loss or life-shattering event upends your world, here is the first thing to know: there is nothing wrong with grief. “Grief is simply love in its most wild and painful form,” says Megan Devine. “It is a natural and sane response to loss.” So, why does our culture treat grief like a disease to be cured as quickly as possible? In It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. Having experienced grief from both sides—as both a therapist and as a woman who witnessed the accidental drowning of her beloved partner—Megan writes with deep insight about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She debunks the culturally prescribed goal of returning to a normal, “happy” life, replacing it with a far healthier middle path, one that invites us to build a life alongside grief rather than seeking to overcome it. In this compelling and heartful book, you’ll learn: • Why well-meaning advice, therapy, and spiritual wisdom so often end up making it harder for people in grief • How challenging the myths of grief—doing away with stages, timetables, and unrealistic ideals about how grief should unfold—allows us to accept grief as a mystery to be honored instead of a problem to solve • Practical guidance for managing stress, improving sleep, and decreasing anxiety without trying to “fix” your pain • How to help the people you love—with essays to teach us the best skills, checklists, and suggestions for supporting and comforting others through the grieving process Many people who have suffered a loss feel judged, dismissed, and misunderstood by a culture that wants to “solve” grief. Megan writes, “Grief no more needs a solution than love needs a solution.” Through stories, research, life tips, and creative and mindfulness-based practices, she offers a unique guide through an experience we all must face—in our personal lives, in the lives of those we love, and in the wider world. It’s OK That You’re Not OK is a book for grieving people, those who love them, and all those seeking to love themselves—and each other—better.
Loving Again explores the lives of twenty-six couples who have experienced the death of a spouse and have fallen in love again. The lingering presence of a deceased partner, reactions of friends and family, and cultural expectations for widows and widowers effect the journey to new love in this delicate context. These real life stories help to dispel commonly held beliefs about grieving and loving as readers discover: Not all widows and widowers are devastated by spousal death; there is no magical one year of grieving; new love can unexpectedly facilitate grieving; love, loss and grief can co-exist; space can be made for a deceased partner within a new relationship; and new love can happen at any age. Loving Again reveals the joys and challenges of opening oneself to new relationships. Read how these couples learned to live with loss and love again.
Without proper support, navigating the icy waters of grief may feel impossible. The grieving person may feel spiritually bankrupt and often the loss is so painful that the bereaved may lose faith in what they once held dear. Mindfulness meditation can restore hope by offering a compassionate safe haven for healing and self-reflection. While nobody can predict the path of someone else's grief, this book will guide the reader forward through the grieving process with simple mindfulness-based exercises to restore mind, body and spirit. These easy-to-follow meditations will help the reader to cope with the pain of loss, and embark on a healing journey. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of grief, and the guided meditations will calm the mind and increase clarity and focus. Mindfulness and Grief will help readers to begin the process of reconstructing the shattered self that is left in the wake of any major loss.
Helping widows and widowers learn how to cope with the grief of losing their helpmate, their lover, and perhaps their financial provider, this guide shows them how to find continued meaning in life when doing so seems difficult. Bereaved spouses will find advice on when and how to dispose of their mate's belongings, dealing with their children, and redefining their role with friends and family. Suggestions are provided for elderly mourners, young widows and widowers, unmarried lovers, and same-sex partners. The information and comfort offered apply to individuals whose spouse died recently or long ago.
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.
