Death is inevitable, and yet the vast majority of the developed world seems to want to ignore this fact and avoid the sad inevitability. However, death is an inevitability, and trying to avoid talking about it is a mistake. Estimated Time of Departure takes readers on a journey of one man and his family having these discussions and how powerfully loving and revealing they were. In this funny, moving, poignant memoir, William Donaldson tells the story of how he talked with his parents over an extended period about their end-of-life thoughts and philosophy. He shares the sad, funny, maddening, sweet, and rewarding sides of this journey and makes a compelling and impassioned plea to readers to not miss this opportunity. They were not without sadness and challenges, but by virtue of talking and exploring the topic, the family came closer together and the inevitable passing became, while still sad, a cathartic, deeply rewarding event. Estimated Time of Departure was written to give readers the courage to have these discussions and shows that hope, love, and reverence can be seen by having them.

THE FIRST SIGNS OF A NEW FUTURE

In The Widowers' Manual, Wouter Looten uses his own journey and experience to effectively guide you through a new and strange world: the realm of the widower. When you find yourself in this unknown reality you feel lost, angry, and numb. Now get ready to exchange these negative sensations for empowerment, caring and being present in the world.

The Widowers' Manual presents a set of five anchors, which helps you, step by step, to sort out the biggest challenge you have had to deal with: the death of your partner. This comprehensive book offers you a practical outline on how to get back on track. It reveals how to put the experience of becoming a widower into perspective in a way that gives you the ability to create order from chaos.

Wouter Looten, who lost his wife over a decade ago, shares his message of how you can go forth and wield the mayhem of emotions to your benefit so you can act on an even higher level in the game called life.

This is not your everyday book on how you could overcome your spouse's demise. The Widowers' Manual shows you how to proficiently turn the experience of losing your loved one into new ways in which you can create a prosperous and compelling future.

he awakening reality of the starkness of death brought Mary Lou Yatzy to the bottom and very core of her internal being. In the weeks and months that followed her loss, she was desperate to find God in the midst of her sorrow. Her trust in God was shattered and she was forced to feel by threads. In desperation she began writing. What was meant to last six weeks went on for months as she slowly began to heal and re-stabilize her trust in God. The pain of the sudden loss of the presence of her daughter caused her to live moment by moment.
Kira graced her family with her presence for three years and two weeks. The gift of her life is a treasure to the Yatzy's family that will never be taken for granted. Her energetic attitude toward life was an adjustment especially for the author as she grew. In turn the joy Kira brought to all of her family was also great. The mix of joy and sorrow continues to be intensely painful. The Yatzy family will miss their daughter until they are reunited at last.
"Wounded Trust" happened simultaneously with the healing process of a deep wound. Deep pain can slice a heart open and expose our true nakedness in the eyes of God, and also those around us. Learning to live with pain in an imperfect world is an art with many bumps and bruises. The scar tissue surrounding the wounds are a constant reminder of how painful the experience of each one can be. The changes grief brings cause our bodies and minds to relearn new ideas, all becoming part of the end healing process of a wound. "Wounded Trust" is a picture of the beauty of facing pain, enduring its hardships, and embracing healing with and open heart.

In What I Wish I'd Known: Finding Your Way through the Tunnel of Grief, Grief Recovery Specialist Kristi Hugstad shares how she reached a state of happiness and inner peace after her husband's suicide-and how you can find your balance after a devastating life event too. She provides readers with all the tools they will need for grief recovery which include self-care, how to change their thinking, and how to learn to trust again. She inspires many to move forward in their time of grief.

How do you go on after you've lost everything? Over several terrifying summers, deadly wildfires raged across Colorado. Lives were lost, and the flames destroyed thousands of homes. When the smoke cleared and only rubble remained, survivors were left trying to find a way forward against devastating loss. The aftermath of that destruction would span many years, and its effects are still felt today. In "Phoenix Rising", twenty women share their stories of fire, the terror they felt as flames engulfed their communities, and the dark desperation that followed. And how---in the ensuing weeks and months---they worked to recreate a life from the ashes. Their tales of fear and bravery, of deep compassion and heart-rending grief, offer an uplifting chronicle of human courage and resilience. In "Phoenix Rising" written by women united by wildfire, they have the privilege of stepping into those moments to stand in the hallways of their shock and fear, grief and disorientation, and then, armed with the wisdom of retrospection, walking out into whatever comes next.

Is God to blame? This is often the question that comes to mind when we confront real suffering in our own lives or in the lives of those we love. Pastor Gregory A. Boyd helps us deal with this question honestly and biblically, while avoiding glib answers. Writing for ordinary Christians, Boyd wrestles with a variety of answers that have been offered by theologians and pastors in the past. He finds that a fully Christian approach must keep the person and work of Jesus Christ at the very center of what we say about human suffering and God's place in it. Yet this is often just what is missing and what makes so much talk about the subject seem inadequate and at times even misleading. What comes through inIs God to Blame? is a hopeful picture of a sovereign God who is relentlessly opposed to evil, who knows our sufferings and who can be trusted to bring us through them to renewed life.

This book is a guide to making and carrying out the psychological decision to kill oneself or, if one so decide, to continue living. It focuses on the decision to commit suicide than on the decision to continue living.

"Our culture celebrates life and youth, but does not prepare us for the premature death of our children. Out of his intense personal grief, which ordinarily is isolating, Doug Daher enables us to understand the vitality of relating and the dynamics of healing in recovering from the death of one's child. This eloquent testimony to the resilience of the human spirit works brilliantly at so many levels of analysis from personal grieving, up through social support and ritual networks, and down to the business systems engulfing death. And the Passenger Was Death takes us on a moving journey--we'd all rather avoid, but eventually must take--conducting us through alien terrain in a most caring, inquisitive and therapeutically vital way." Phil Zimbardo, President American Psychological Association "For something as universal as death, it comes as a shock to find how unique each death is. But that is because a death breaks a specific relationship. Daher's book gives a painfully clear picture of one particular death--that of the young-adult son who meant so much to his father and for whom he had such high hopes. Step by step, Daher takes us through his devastating experience. Readers will be both moved and educated by going through it with him." William Bridges, author of: The Way of Transition: Embracing Life's Most Difficult Moment "An extraordinarily poignant diary-like read written by a grieving parent who chronicles his journey of grief. From the first moment of pain and disbelief through the funeral and the police investigation, hoping beyond hope that the question 'Why' would be answered. And then the realization that 'Why' would offer no solace. "Dr Daher's unique position as PhD psychologist and bereaved father are obvious in the human struggle that presents itself as his journey of healing unfolds. A classic narration on the spiral nature of grief and mourning. It is rich with reminiscences and ritual. " Marilyn S. Walke, Director of Client Care, Centre for Living with Dying

The editors of "Making Sense of Death: Spiritual, Pastoral, and Personal Aspects of Death, Dying and Bereavement" provide stimulating discussions as they ponder the meaning of life and death.This anthology explores the process of meaning-making in the face of death and the roles of religion and spirituality at times of loss; the profound and devastating experience of loss in the death of a spouse or a child; a psychological model of spirituality; the dimensions of spirituality; humor in client-caregiver relationships; the worldview of modernity in contrast to postmodern assumptions; the Buddhist perspective of death, dying, and pastoral care; meaning-making in the virtual reality of cyberspace; individualism and death; and the historical context of Native Americans, the concept of disenfranchised grief, and its detailed application to the Native American experience.It also explores: a qualitative survey on the impact of the shooting deaths of students in Colorado; a team approach with physicians, nursing, social services, and pastoral care; a study of health care professionals, comparing clergy with other health professionals; marginality in spiritual and pastoral care for the dying; a qualitative research study of registered nurses in the northeast United States; and loss and growth in the seasons of life.

In June of 2012, vibrant 16-year-old Leanna Mae Knopik was hospitalized with a rare and sudden cardiac infection. In this unflinching account of her final month of life and the searing sorrow that followed, a grieving mother deepens her relationship with her deceased daughter and-through the grace of God-finds a path to true joy. Beyond the Rainbow describes in candid detail the arduous task of piecing a family back together in the wake of tragedy, and the transformative spiritual awakening that emerges. Not just for the bereaved, all readers will benefit from the author's journey through searing pain and her ultimate discovery of God's grace. This memoir offers a model for how family members can move through grief. It presents an honest and complete examination of the coping skills that worked for the author and her family-and the ones that did not. The goal of Beyond the Rainbow is twofold: 1) to shorten the path to healing by offering a roadmap through the early stages of grief, and 2) to broaden the reader's perspective on loss; with God's grace, they can and will live a joyful life.

Leslie Gray Streeter is not cut out for widowhood. She's not ready for hushed rooms and pitying looks. She is not ready to stand graveside, dabbing her eyes in a classy black hat. If she had her way she'd wear her favorite curve-hugging leopard print dress to Scott's funeral; he loved her in that dress! But, here she is, having lost her soulmate to a sudden heart attack, totally unsure of how to navigate her new widow lifestyle. ("New widow lifestyle." Sounds like something you'd find products for on daytime TV, like comfy track suits and compression socks. Wait, is a widow even allowed to make jokes?) Looking at widowhood through the prism of race, mixed marriage, and aging, Black Widow redefines the stages of grief, from coffin shopping to day-drinking, to being a grown-ass woman crying for your mommy, to breaking up and making up with God, to facing the fact that life goes on even after the death of the person you were supposed to live it with. While she stumbles toward an uncertain future as a single mother raising a baby with her own widowed mother (plot twist!), Leslie looks back on her love story with Scott, recounting their journey through racism, religious differences, and persistent confusion about what kugel is. Will she find the strength to finish the most important thing that she and Scott started? Tender, true, and endearingly hilarious, Black Widow is a story about the power of love, and how the only guide book for recovery is the one you write yourself.

Contents:
1. My Miscarriage Years 2. Caught in the Middle: Pregnancy Loss at the Turn of the Century 3. Studying Pregnancy Loss Support 4. Challenges to Narratives of Linear Progress 5. New Reproductive Technologies and the Fetal Subject 6. 'He Was a Real Baby With Baby Things': A Material Culture Analysis of Personhood, Parenthood, and Pregnancy Loss 7. 'True Gifts from God': Paradoxes of Motherhood, Sacrifice, and Enrichment 8. 'Never Such Innocence Again': Irony, Nature, and Technoscience 9. 'I Will Never Forget You': Trauma, Memory, and Moral Identity 10. A Feminist Program for Pregnancy Loss Appendix: Contact Information References Cited Index

Anthropologist Linda Layne takes a theoretically informed approach to the topic of miscarriage and stillbirth. About 20% of all pregnancies in the U.S. end in miscarriage or stillbirth, yet pregnancy loss is not a socially accepted topic of discussion. To cope, many middle-class women join pregnancy loss support groups. Layne studies these groups and the rituals they create to help would-be-parents through their loss. The book takes an historical look at pregnancy loss in America and then moves to the present, examining how current reproductive technologies (home pregnancy tests, sonograms, etc.) and the abortion debate have reworked notions of "foetal personhood." Layne rounds out her argument by calling for feminists to put pregnancy loss on their agenda to help increase awareness about this hidden but painful subject and to effect necessary changes and improvements in the current socio-medical management of pregnancy loss.

There are 13,455,127 widows in the United States and Canada. The Sisterhood of Widows is a powerful book of healing containing sixteen true stories from widows of all walks of life who reflect and comment about life after the death of their husbands. Their stories cover death from accidents, cancer, heart attacks, and even suicide. All are told in a truthful and sometimes painful manner. Emotionally every widow handles loss differently and yet there is a common bond they share that makes them part of a sisterhood. And each widow's story provides guidance and insight into human nature and the journey of perseverance through grief.

Finding Peace After a Suicide Loss is a refreshing and unique Christian look at the difficult and complex healing process after a suicide. Throughout Finding Peace After a Suicide Loss, the reader enters the scene of a tragic death with its shattering blow and immediate anguish. Written in a format of then and now, it affirms the horrific sadness and sorrow after a suicide of a loved one. Finding Peace After a Suicide Loss courageously tackles the spiritual battles which face every suicide survivor: guilt, shame, rejection, blame, stigma and is not afraid to ask the question, "Why God? Why?". Elaine Kennelly understands completely, as it took years for her to start moving forward with baby-steps of love, prayer, forgiveness, obedience and service. But there is victory to celebrate, as Finding Peace After a Suicide Loss shows the way to joy, real joy in a marriage that stays intact and a family that's close at hand. Overcoming a suicide loss is possible - let Finding Peace After a Suicide Loss show you how.

Writing from the perspective of bereaved parent and psychotherapist, Kay Talbot describes the trauma and multiple secondary losses experienced by bereaved parents. What Forever Means After the Death of a Child builds on empirical and qualitative research and gives examples of what helps and what hinders bereaved parents as their grief and loss evolve. Talbot encourages clinicians to help parents reframe their role as the child's biographer, though continuing rather than breaking the bond with their deceased child. Examples demonstrate how bereaved parents reconstruct personal identity, resolve spiritual and existential crises, reach out to help others, and create productive futures that honor their children and provide new meaning to their lives.

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This second edition of Breaking the Silence sheds new light onto complex areas of traumatic grief. Designed for educators, mental health professionals, caregivers and parents, it presents techniques, words, activities and methods to initiate discussion of these sensitive issues. It also provides valuable tools to break down the process of grieving for children. Resources are offered for facilitating the grieving process at home, school, or in treatment.
Two new chapters have been added to this edition:'Breaking the Silence on Bullying' and 'Communities Grieve: Involvement with Children and Trauma'. All previous chapters from the first edition have been broadened and practical activities for working with bully-victimization issues and traumatized youth have been included. Resources have been greatly expanded. Books, videos, CD-ROMS, websites, curriculums, and other resources have been updated.
The second edition of Breaking the Silence confronts today's traumatic grief issues with realistic and comprehensive approaches to the inundation of everyday complicated grief experiences our children live with and are subjected to in their homes, at their schools, in their communities, and in their world.

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Every year in the UK over 10,000 babies die before birth or shortly afterwards. For the parents, the grief is hard to bear. In this book, parents who have lost a baby tell their stories. They speak about what happened, how they felt, how they have been helped by others and how they helped themselves.
Using letters from and interviews with many bereaved parents, Nancy Kohner and Alix Henley have written a book which offers understanding of what it means to lose a baby and the grief that follows. When a Baby Dies also contains valuable information about why a baby dies, hospital practices, the process of grieving, sources of support, and the care parents need in future pregnancies.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203164881

Every year in the UK over 10,000 babies die before birth or shortly afterwards. For the parents, the grief is hard to bear. In this book, parents who have lost a baby tell their stories. They speak about what happened, how they felt, how they have been helped by others and how they helped themselves.
Using letters from and interviews with many bereaved parents, Nancy Kohner and Alix Henley have written a book which offers understanding of what it means to lose a baby and the grief that follows. When a Baby Dies also contains valuable information about why a baby dies, hospital practices, the process of grieving, sources of support, and the care parents need in future pregnancies.

Bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink shares the advice that has seen her through life's ups and downs.

From her etiquette for bad news to the words of wisdom she would like to pass onto her son, How to Feel Better is full of warm, gentle guidance and comfort for when you need it most.

Previously published as A Manual for Heartache, this revised edition contains a new introduction from Cathy and an inspiring addendum of advice from other authors on what they do to feel better, whatever the world throws their way.

Contents:
Grief is a Family Process. A Note to Group Facilitators. Sample Telephone Interview. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 1. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week2. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 3. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 4. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 5. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 6. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 7. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 8. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 9. Mourning Child Pre-School Curriculum: Week 10. Appendix 1: A Description of Materials. Appendix 2: Samples of Materials to be Used. Appendix 3: Sample Notes to be Sent Home to Caregivers. Appendix 4: Special Activities for Special Days and Sample. Denny the Duck Stories.

Intended for use with late elementary-school-aged and middle-school-aged children who have experienced the death of someone special, the Mourning Child Grief Support Group Curriculum: Middle Childhood Edition is for professionals who work in schools, hospitals, hospices, mental health agencies, or any setting that serves bereaved children. The Middle Childhood Edition contains lesson plans for 10 sessions that include age-appropriate activities. These fun and engaging activities enable young children to approach highly sensitive and painful topics. The authors provide detailed instructions and learning objectives to guide users through the curriculum.

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Trying Again lessens the uncertainties about pregnancy after miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss by providing the facts to help you determine if you and your partner are emotionally ready for another pregnancy. It also imparts essential advice about preparing and planning for another baby when you decide the time is right.

A Columbia University physician comes across a popular medieval text on dying well written after the horror of the Black Plague and discovers ancient wisdom for rethinking death and gaining insight today on how we can learn the lost art of dying well in this wise, clear-eyed book that is as compelling and soulful as Being Mortal, When Breath Becomes Air, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. As a specialist in both medical ethics and the treatment of older patients, Dr. L. S. Dugdale knows a great deal about the end of life. Far too many of us die poorly, she argues. Our culture has overly medicalized death: dying is often institutional and sterile, prolonged by unnecessary resuscitations and other intrusive interventions. We are not going gently into that good night-our reliance on modern medicine can actually prolong suffering and strip us of our dignity. Yet our lives do not have to end this way. Centuries ago, in the wake of the Black Plague, a text was published offering advice to help the living prepare for a good death. Written during the late Middle Ages, ars moriendi-The Art of Dying-made clear that to die well, one first had to live well and described what practices best help us prepare. When Dugdale discovered this Medieval book, it was a revelation. Inspired by its holistic approach to the final stage we must all one day face, she draws from this forgotten work, combining its wisdom with the knowledge she has gleaned from her long medical career. The Lost Art of Dying is a twenty-first century ars moriendi, filled with much-needed insight and thoughtful guidance that will change our perceptions. By recovering our sense of finitude, confronting our fears, accepting how our bodies age, developing meaningful rituals, and involving our communities in end-of-life care, we can discover what it means to both live and die well. And like the original ars moriendi, The Lost Art of Dying includes nine black-and-white drawings from artist Michael W. Dugger. Dr. Dugdale offers a hopeful perspective on death and dying as she shows us how to adapt the wisdom from the past to our lives today. The Lost Art of Dying is a vital, affecting book that reconsiders death, death culture, and how we can transform how we live each day, including our last.

This work features articles by leading educators and clinicians in the field of grief and bereavement. The chapters entitled "Voices" are the writings of children and adolescents. It includes a comprehensive resource list of national organizations and a useful bibliography of age-appropriate literature for children and adolescents.