Gratitude In Grief

Gratitude In Grief chronicles a mother's journey into the unimaginable-the death of her son. This is a personal journal of reflection in the days following the death, and the unexpected approach she took in dealing with her grief that changed her forever. To the surprise of many, this mother made a choice to look for "one little thing" to be thankful for each day while coping with her loss. She survived by cataloguing every small blessing she saw-from feeling grateful for her relationship with God to being thankful that she had a few hours alone to fall apart and grieve. Each blessing was a message that hope is never lost and love never dies. This daily gratitude changed the process of her grief, but also sparked a reflection on life, purpose, and faith that has changed the author forever. By documenting the events surrounding her son's death in the days and months afterward, Kelly Buckley gives readers a firsthand glimpse at the unbreakable bonds of love, the power of gratitude and the freedom that purpose in your life grants you. Through heartache and humor it provides hope and a nontraditional path through grief for those suffering loss in their own lives. An absolute read for anyone experiencing loss and a wake-up call for others to be present in your life, to listen to your inner voice, and to live your life to the fullest. In Gratitude in Grief, Buckley poetically shares her journey with readers, chronicling the challenges and the setbacks, as well as the moments of grace she found in the midst of grief. Her book will reassure others that they don't have to be alone in their pain and set them on the path to healing.

Bennett offers advice for those experiencing grief.

Patterning is fun, easy and relaxing. It is a great way to add interest and texture to any design. Whether you like to journal, draw, doodle, design, or craft, you'll find a world of inspiration here. These decorative borders, frames, shapes, and alphabets will appeal to a spectrum of tastes and styles.

What are you supposed to do when the holidays hurt? Divorce. Financial stress. Chronic illness. Losing a loved one. Experiencing any of these situations during the year is difficult. But the holiday season, once joyful and happy, can heighten this pain. When Holidays Hurt, written by Bo Stern, will help you find hidden hope amid your pain and loss--even when it feels impossible. Bo spent two Christmases struggling to connect with the joy of the season. As she watched her husband, Steve, struggle with terminal ALS, Bo quietly felt her spirit for the season fade--and has noticed others suffering the same way. Through stories and scriptures, Bo offers readers: A way to redeem what can often become painful days--Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries, milestones such as weddings and graduations, and more 35 thoughtful devotions divided into specific seasons of life that range from holidays to special occasions At the end of each devotional, tangible ways to find hidden hope and prayers to recite When Holidays Hurt is an encouraging self-purchase or gift for loved ones who are hurting and enduring hard times and need to be reminded of hope, peace, and purpose. Bo’s authentic voice promotes readers to thrive during the holidays and equips them with coping tools to use throughout the year.

We've all been faced with moments in life where the rug gets pulled out from beneath our feet. And, sometimes, it is not only the rug that has been removed; the whole darn floor has disappeared too. Just One Little Thing is about one of those life changing groundless moments. The story begins on the 4th of July, when a phone call changes everything in Kelly Buckleys life. Devastated by the unexpected death of her son Stephen, Kelly started to journal about what goodness still remained in her life in the hopes of finding just one little thing to make it through the day. Gratitude changed everything. By focusing on the blessings found moment by moment, she was able to allow herself to grieve with an open heart, and accept all the wisdom that comes from lifes difficulties.

This book is a life raft in a grief storm. From the first gripping chapter, when Debbie's husband dies expectedly in her arms, she takes readers by the hand and offers them gentle insights for healing and hope, while sharing her powerful story of loss. As a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and grief, Debbie and her wisdom can help you too.

We live in a grief-avoidance society and the sensitive topics of death and grief are still the elephant in the room. Death is inevitable and will visit every household at some point, but because it's not required learning, such as CPR, the 911 system, emergency evacuation, and the like, we are unfamiliar and unprepared to deal with it when it knocks on the door. We don't know what to say or what not to say to someone who is grieving the loss of a dear love one. In most cases, we say all the wrong things, such as "I understand how you feel." This unscheduled event has placed itself on your calendar, crossed your doorstep, and entered your home without permission. You can't change, delete, postpose, reschedule, or evict it. It doesn't discriminate against race, creed, color, religion, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation or cause of death. It grants you membership into a club that you never asked to join. This inevitable occasion of death has taken possession of the core essence of your existence... now what How do you accept that life as it was will never be the same again? How do you describe the pain, despair, loneliness to others? Why do people say all the wrong things, such as I understand how you feel, or It just takes time, or You should be over it by now or It was just God's will? Might it make things better if they said nothing at all, or simply I don't know what to say, but I am here for you? It's a dark and lonely place. A wilderness where you will encounter crooked paths, wrong turns, dead ends, scattered debris, seemingly no way out. How do you find the light, the peace, the comfort that you so desperately seek, or does it even exist? Will the pain ever go away? Will you live, thrive, or love again? Why do we grieve anyway? We grieve because we loved. To grieve is not selfish, as many might indicate. It is the normal and natural response to loss. It is your own personal, unique response to the love that you shared with your loved one. Dora Carpenter says that just like the cocoon's tenacity and perseverance causes the transformation to a beautiful butterfly, so can you. She says it doesn't have to take many years to be held hostage and victim to the emotional, physical, and spiritual pain of unresolved grief. No, life as it was will never be the same again, but life going forward matters, it counts, and you have an obligation to live it for the rest of your life. If you choose to do the work, you can find meaning and purpose in your life going forward. What is this thing called the grief work, the new normal, the renewal, the rebirth? Dora Carpenter's grief coaching model helps you navigate the grief journey so that you can move from pain to peace, heartbreak to happiness, and grief to gratitude in the shortest time possible. She inspires and empowers you to live a fulfilled life of meaning and purpose while creating the legacy that you will be remembered for. She says, "Embrace all that life has to offer you, celebrate each baby step along the way, and find gratitude in the gift of now. From Grief to Gratitude: We Grieve Because We Loved is written for those grieving the loss of a loved one as well as those supporting others who are grieving. The author shares her personal and death care industry experience and coach training to address this diminished, often silenced topic. A recommended resource for every household. "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly." - Anonymous

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.