Death may be inevitable, but fearing the end-of-life is avoidable. Learn how to put your fear of your final days to rest. We all know we are going to die, but live as though we don't believe it. Rather than explore our options and consider the possibilities that can impact our final days, we ignore the idea altogether out of fear. By avoiding the topic of death, we increase the pain and grief we experience at the end of life, and the suffering of those left behind. After three decades of caring for the dying, Dr. Jeff Spiess argues that if we honestly face our mortality, we will make wiser decisions, die with less distress, and live the remainder of our lives, whether days or decades, more fully and with less anxiety. Using cultural and religious references alongside poignant narratives, this optimistic work informs, inspires, and challenges our cognitive and emotional understandings of our own lives and deaths. Dying with Ease contains the practical nuts and bolts information about advance care planning, hospice, palliative care, and ethical and legal issues surrounding dying in America. Dr. Spiess answers such questions as: -How can I plan for the last part of my life? -What options do I have if my suffering is unbearable? -What do religion and spiritual philosophy have to say about dying? -What does it feel like to die? While dying can be difficult, it can also be beautiful. By learning to relax in the face of death at our current stage of life, we can make wiser and more authentic decisions throughout the rest of our lives-- however long they may be.

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Clergy are in a natural position to help people who experience a variety of losses, including death, divorce, moves, and develop-mental transitions. Historically, clergy have been involved as supporters of the bereaved, yet many clergy say that their educa-tion lacked substantive teachings in this area of caring. This book is a response to this apparent need. While directed at clergy, anyone involved in this area of caregiving will find the contents of value.

The Widow's Survival Guide shows women that they are strong enough to survive and thrive in life after loss. Within The Widow's Survival Guide, Charity Pimentel-Hyams, a widow at thirty-seven with children aged five, three, and one at the time of her husband's tragic and unexpected death, takes women through the challenges and triumphs of young widowhood. Throughout The Widow's Survival Guide, women learn: What to do directly after the death of their spouse How to support themselves and handle grieving children, even when they're falling apart What grief can look like and the symptoms it creates How to create an action plan for day-to-day life Strategies to check in with their heart and stay connected to their lost loved one

Helping widows and widowers to 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.

First published in 1987. This comprehensive book addresses the problem of adolescent suicidal behavior in America today. It devotes a great deal of attention to sublethal acts or suicide attempts, rather than committed suicides. This study establishes a progression that discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem and an exploration of the meaning and reasons for adolescent suicide in the individual case.

Dealing with the emotions of letting go, this book explains that they are normal and natural. It teaches us to deal with our emotions and how to go about accepting the inevitable. Those who are terminally ill, their friends, and family members will gain much from the book, as will staff in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health institutions.

Maria Housden tells of her own transformation, as a mother, a wife and a woman, as she struggled to cope with the death of her daughter Hannah and make the hardest decision of her life. From the author of the bestselling Hannah's Gift. At the age of 36, instead of enjoying the perfect family life she had imagined as a child, Maria felt judged and found wanting by others. She realised that, no matter how much she still loved her husband and how powerful her bond of love was with her children, she had to change her life radically -- she had to make it her own again. What followed was an emotional and enlightening search for herself. Written in the same moving, lyrical style as Hannah's Gift, the story unfolds in a series of painful, joyful and humorous moments. At times the story is heart-wrenchingly sad but ultimately it is uplifting and inspiring.

We all need a little help sometimes - whether it's to overcome personal loss and grief, or to navigate our way through self-doubt. In The Book of Healing, Tara Ward, bestselling author and expert in wellbeing and spiritual development, takes you through the process of recovering from loss and grief. Learning the art of self-healing - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - is tremendously important and can be achieved through practical exercises, meditation, reflection and mindfulness. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, loneliness, grief or even loss of self, Tara offers a roadmap through the recovery process. She shows how learning to embrace joy amidst the grief, and discovering self-compassion as well as compassion for others will create health, and help you to thrive. Tara's advice is practical and task-focussed, straightforward and accessible. Drawing on your own personal responses, you will feel inspired to reclaim some light in your life, escape the past, and look to the future, fully healed and restored.

A powerful exploration of grief and resilience that combines memoir, reportage, and lessons in how to heal Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Helen MacDonald found solace in training a wild goshawk. Cheryl Strayed found comfort in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. For Carol Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist struggling with the sudden death of her seven-year-old son Christopher, the way to cross the river of sorrow was through work.In Crossing the River, Smith recounts how she faced down her crippling loss through reporting a series of profiles of people coping with their own intense challenges, whether a freak accident, a debilitating injury, or a terrifying diagnosis. Smith deftly mixes the stories of these individuals and their families with her own account of how they helped her heal. General John Shalikashvili, once the most powerful member of the American military, taught Carol how to face fear with discipline and endurance. Seth, a young boy with a rare and incurable illness, shed light on the totality of her son's experiences, and in turn helps readers see that the value of a life is not measured in days.This is a beautiful and profoundly moving book, an unforgettable journey through grief, and a valuable, illuminating read for anyone coping with loss.

Guidelines are presented in the book of how one can create a "helping healing relationship." Through reading and participating in the activities presented, the reader will become capable of establishing a very special kind of goal-directed experience with the grieving child. Unites interpretation of human research and grief processes to accentuate the quality of caregiving to children during their grief periods. Explained are the stages through which the grieving person must travel with help, characteristics of a caregiver are expounded, and techniques presented to create the best atmosphere for a grieving child to thrive with love and care.

The death of a parent marks an emotional and psychological watershed in a person's life. For children and teenagers, the loss of a parent if not handled sensitively can be a lasting trauma, and for adults too, a parent's death can be a tremendous blow.

When Parents Die speaks to bereaved children of all ages. Rebecca Abrams draws on her personal and professional understandings of parental loss, as well as the experiences of many other adults, teenagers and children, to provide the reader with an honest, compassionate and insightful exploration of the experience of losing a parent. The book covers the entire course of grieving, from the immediate aftermath of a parent's death through to the point of recovery, paying particular attention to the many circumstances that can prolong and complicate mourning, including sudden death.

An indispensible aid to the bereaved and the many professionals who work with them, this book is written in a clear and sympathetic style. It has been fully revised for this third edition to take recent research and theoretical developments into account.

'Warm, funny, and bursting with heart' Rebecca Serle 'Beautiful, moving, hopeful' Emily Stone Greta James is adrift. Literally. Just after the sudden death of her mother - her most devoted fan - and weeks before the launch of her high-stakes second album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing. Greta's career is suddenly in jeopardy - the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always warned her about. Months later, Greta - still heartbroken and very much adrift - reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. In this unlikeliest of places - at sea and far from the packed venues where she usually plays - Greta must finally confront the heartbreak she's suffered, the family hurts that run deep, and how to find her voice again. 'Gorgeous, heartfelt' Amanda Eyre Ward 'Thoughtful and tender and true' Janelle Brown 'Filled with music, passion, and love of all kinds' Jill Santopolo 'A total delight!' Christine Pride 'Full of hope . . . vibrant' Linda Holmes

In her poignant memoir, Carolyn describes the heartbreak of losing a child, and how she and her family dealt with unimaginable loss and learned to live again. Married with two daughters, Ellie aged 14 and Rosie 11, Carolyn was teaching at Redroofs School for the Performing Arts when Rosie suddenly developed vasculitis, a rare auto immune disease. Rosie spent many months in hospital undergoing tests, scans and operations whilst her family were worried sick and traumatised by the lack of support for parents in their situation. Rosie's tragic death six months later compelled Carolyn to set-up Rosie's Rainbow Fund in her memory and to honour Rosie's wish to help other sick children. The charity has achieved major success bringing music therapy to thousands of sick children in hospital, care for parents with hospitalised children and ongoing support for bereaved parents. As a believer in spirituality, Carolyn felt that Rosie was sending messages and helping her through her grief. Predictions given to Carolyn previously that her destiny was to have another child, and with Rosie's blessing, Carolyn and her husband embarked upon a five-year programme of fertility treatment. Carolyn describes in intimate detail all the processes,procedures and disappointments she experienced. Finally, at 54 years of age and through IVF and a donor egg Carolyn gave birth to their son Dominic and a brother for Ellie. After a painful divorce Carolyn discovered a breast lump in 2016 and following a diagnosis of cancer had to undergo a mastectomy. She chronicles the gruelling regime of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the caring medical staff and inspiring patients that helped her through this frightening chapter. However,the rollercoaster of life and death hadn't finished with her yet..

Each year, 3,000 children and young people between the ages of 1 and 19, die as a result of illness or accident.Around 5% of children will have experienced the death of a parent by the time they are 16. Statistics indicate that up to 70% of schools have a bereaved pupil in their care at any given time. Helping Children Think about Bereavement provides a four part differentiated story and activities to help normalise death and allow children to develop emotional literacy to talk about it. The author, along with Child Bereavement UK have devised activities and guidance for teachers on how to use the story to develop children's emotional literacy and prepare them for bereavement, whether it affects them personally or through a friend's bereavement. This book also offers support for teachers and parents outlining how children's understanding of death develops and what can be helpful in supporting bereaved children. The story is presented at different levels: for children aged 9-11 for children aged 7 -9 for children aged 5-7 for children who speak English as a Second Language for children in Early Years or with Learning Difficulties Details surrounding death and its aftermath are not always readily talked about or well handled. When it does happen, children need to be able to express themselves and know that their feelings are a normal part of grieving. This book is an invaluable resource for all key stage one and two teachers, teaching assistants and anyone who is involved in bereavement training.

A wonderfully quixotic, charming and surprisingly uplifting travelogue which sees Jack Cooke, author of the much-loved The Treeclimbers Guide, drive around the British Isles in a clapped-out forty-year old hearse in search of famous - and not so famous - tombs, graves and burial sites. Along the way, he launches a daredevil trespass into Highgate Cemetery at night, stumbles across the remains of the Welsh Druid who popularised cremation and has time to sit and ponder the imponderables at the graveside of the Lady of Hoy, an 18th century suicide victim whose body was kept in near condition by the bog in which she was buried. A truly unique, beautifully written and wonderfully imagined book.

'The most life-affirming book ever written about death.' Sandi Toksvig 'One of the most powerful and helpful books about grief that you will ever read.' Anita Anand 'Grief is more than the price of love. It is love. We must learn not just to live with it, but to make it welcome.' Catherine Mayer and her mother Anne Mayer Bird were widowed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is their story of supporting each other through whirling grief, 'sadmin' and the darkest of times, as they learn to embrace life again. Now updated with brand new chapters, Good Grief is an essential companion for loss and a testimony to enduring love. Spiked with wry humour, it is an uplifting, moving and unexpectedly joyous read. 'Smart, upbeat and brimming with fortitude' Observer 'One of the saddest things I've ever read but also the most powerful. It's made me want to cling tight to the people I love while acknowledging their mortality and mine too.' Marian Keyes

"The Caregiving Trap" combines the authentic life and professional experience of Pamela D. Wilson, who provides recommendations for overwhelmed and frustrated caregivers who themselves may one day need care. "The Caregiving Trap" includes stories about Pamela's actual personal and professional experience along with end of chapter exercises to support caregivers. Common caregiving issues include: A sense of duty and obligation to provide care that damages family relationships Emotional and financial challenges resulting in denial of care needs Ignorance of predictive events that result in situations of crises or harm Delayed decision making and lack of planning resulting in limited choices Minimum standards of care supporting the need for advocacy

With sensitivity and insight, this series offers suggestions for healing activities that can help survivors learn to express their grief and mourn naturally. Acknowledging that death is a painful, ongoing part of life, they explain how people need to slow down, turn inward, embrace their feelings of loss, and seek and accept support when a loved one dies. Each book, geared for mourning adults, teens, or children, provides ideas and action-oriented tips that teach the basic principles of grief and healing. These ideas and activities are aimed at reducing the confusion, anxiety, and huge personal void so that the living can begin their lives again. Included in the books for teens and kids are age-appropriate activities that teach younger people that their thoughts are not only normal but necessary.

Amanda Kloots bravely reflects on love, loss, and life with her husband, Broadway star, and Tony Award nominee Nick Cordero, whose public battle with COVID-19 and tragic death made headlines around the world. In March 2020, Broadway star and Tony Award nominee Nick Cordero was hospitalized for what he and his wife, Amanda Kloots, believed to be a severe case of pneumonia. Entering the hospital, they had every reason to believe that Nick-a young father and otherwise healthy man-would return home. After an eventual diagnosis of COVID-19 that led to Nick's being placed on a ventilator, Amanda took to documenting their journey on social media, showing the dangers COVID-19 posed to everyone, regardless of age. Her updates quickly captivated millions, inspiring people around the globe to dance each day to Nick's song "Live Your Life" and offer positive thoughts and prayer. When he passed away after ninety-five grueling days in the ICU, the world grieved for Amanda, her infant son, Elvis, and the future COVID-19 had snatched away from them. Live Your Life is the story of Nick and Amanda's life together-of their beautiful relationship, of Nick's dramatic fight for survival, of those sudden tragic months that permanently changed her world and ours-and of their interrupted future as a family. From the confusing early days of his illness to searching for signs of hope in every update from the doctors to the healing sound of Elvis's laughter, Amanda details how she approached even the most devastating moments with the personal optimism and faith that have shaped her life. Written with her sister Anna Kloots, who was with her every step of this journey, Live Your Life explores how Amanda's willingness to accept help from an entire community of people-friends, family, and even total strangers-played a vital role in enduring this hardship. In the process, she offers a touching meditation on how even the worst times have silver linings that deepen our connections to the world around us and to the people who matter most. What emerges is an inspiring and unexpectedly uplifting message for life in the time of COVID, a vision of courage for anyone coping with overwhelming loss or the collective trauma of what the pandemic has taken from us. A poignant reflection on love, hope, motherhood, and the transformational power of music, Live Your Life is a love letter to Nick and a reminder that, sometimes, celebrating life today is the only path through tomorrow's darkness. Live Your Life includes 16 pages of color photos exclusive to the book.

Death is often encountered in English courses-Hamlet's death, celebrity death, death from the terrorist attacks on 9/11-but students rarely have the opportunity to write about their own experiences with death. In Death Education in the Writing Classroom, Jeffrey Berman shows how college students can write safely about dying, death, and bereavement. The book is based on an undergraduate course on love and loss that Berman taught at the University at Albany in 2008. Part 1, "Diaries," is organized around Berman's diary entries written immediately after each class. These entries provide a week-by-week glimpse of class discussions, highlighting his students' writings and their developing bonds with classmates and teacher. Part 2, "Breakthroughs," focuses on several students' important educational and psychological discoveries in their understanding of love and loss. The student writings touch on many aspects of death education, including disenfranchised grief. The book explores how students write about not only mourning and loss but also depression, cutting, and abortion-topics that occupy the ambiguous border of death-in-life. Death Education in the Writing Classroom is the first book to demonstrate how love and loss can be taught in a college writing class-and the first to describe the week-by-week changes in students' cognitive and affective responses to death. This interdisciplinary book will be of interest to writing teachers, students, clinicians, and bereavement counselors.

Death is often encountered in English courses-Hamlet's death, celebrity death, death from the terrorist attacks on 9/11-but students rarely have the opportunity to write about their own experiences with death. In Death Education in the Writing Classroom, Jeffrey Berman shows how college students can write safely about dying, death, and bereavement. The book is based on an undergraduate course on love and loss that Berman taught at the University at Albany in 2008. Part 1, "Diaries," is organized around Berman's diary entries written immediately after each class. These entries provide a week-by-week glimpse of class discussions, highlighting his students' writings and their developing bonds with classmates and teacher. Part 2, "Breakthroughs," focuses on several students' important educational and psychological discoveries in their understanding of love and loss. The student writings touch on many aspects of death education, including disenfranchised grief. The book explores how students write about not only mourning and loss but also depression, cutting, and abortion-topics that occupy the ambiguous border of death-in-life. Death Education in the Writing Classroom is the first book to demonstrate how love and loss can be taught in a college writing class-and the first to describe the week-by-week changes in students' cognitive and affective responses to death. This interdisciplinary book will be of interest to writing teachers, students, clinicians, and bereavement counselors.

Late antiquity was a perilous time for children, who were often the first victims of economic crisis, war, and disease. They had a one in three chance of dying before their first birthday, with as many as half dying before age ten. Christian writers accordingly sought to speak to the experience of bereavement and to provide cultural scripts for parents who had lost a child. These late ancient writers turned to characters like Eve and Sarah, Job and Jephthah as models for grieving and for confronting or submitting to the divine. Jephthah's Daughter, Sarah's Son traces the stories these writers crafted and the ways in which they shaped the lived experience of familial bereavement in ancient Christianity. A compelling social history that conveys the emotional lives of people in the late ancient world, Jephthah's Daughter, Sarah's Son is a powerful portrait of mourning that extends beyond antiquity to the present day.