Sudden Widow, A True Story of Love, Grief, Recovery, and How Badly It CAN Suck!

Sudden Widow, A True Story of Love, Grief, Recovery, and How Badly It CAN Suck! PDF Author: Bella Lynn Thompson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781952991011
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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Book Description
Sudden Widow, A True Story of Love, Grief, Recovery, and How Badly It Can Suck! is a book for widows/widowers and everyone in their lives, to help them make sense of an unbearable loss. It is refreshing, authentic, heartbreaking, and funny. Understanding for widows in a world where many people don't comprehend the lifelong grief and change after a loss of this magnitude. Reading this honest, heartfelt book, you feel seen, heard, and supported. The authenticity of powering through an inexplicable life event is evident on every page. Perhaps most importantly, you will feel understood and less alone.

Sudden Widow, A True Story of Love, Grief, Recovery, and How Badly It CAN Suck!

Sudden Widow, A True Story of Love, Grief, Recovery, and How Badly It CAN Suck! PDF Author: Bella Lynn Thompson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781952991011
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122

Get Book Here

Book Description
Sudden Widow, A True Story of Love, Grief, Recovery, and How Badly It Can Suck! is a book for widows/widowers and everyone in their lives, to help them make sense of an unbearable loss. It is refreshing, authentic, heartbreaking, and funny. Understanding for widows in a world where many people don't comprehend the lifelong grief and change after a loss of this magnitude. Reading this honest, heartfelt book, you feel seen, heard, and supported. The authenticity of powering through an inexplicable life event is evident on every page. Perhaps most importantly, you will feel understood and less alone.

Suddenly Widowed

Suddenly Widowed PDF Author: Patty Slupecki
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780692145579
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 156

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Book Description
In 2002, Patty and Mark Slupecki had it all: a happy marriage with two beautiful children in a quiet suburban home. Then, on a Sunday afternoon in September, Mark was killed while riding his bicycle. At 37, Patty's entire world became unrecognizable, blurry, and excruciatingly painful. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she became an only parent, left to raise two young children on her own. At a time when all she wanted to do was succumb to her misery, Patty knew she had to do more than just exist; she had to persevere and thrive so that she could support her children the way her husband would have wanted, and invent a new normal for herself and her family. Though confronted with overwhelming grief, depression, and numbness, Patty did not surrender to the devastation that grief serves us. Learning how to simply survive was not enough; she knew she needed to do more. Suddenly Widowed is Patty's story of grief and survival. She shares not only her challenges and strengths that she encountered through her journey, but also the mistakes she made along the way and the credit that those who supported her deserve. Patty has built a community for those who have lost a spouse and have the desire to somehow put back together the pieces of their lives. Patty offers encouragement, hope, and positivity and has the experience and understanding that many people dealing with loss seek out.

Ambiguous Loss

Ambiguous Loss PDF Author: Pauline BOSS
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674028589
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
When a loved one dies we mourn our loss. We take comfort in the rituals that mark the passing, and we turn to those around us for support. But what happens when there is no closure, when a family member or a friend who may be still alive is lost to us nonetheless? How, for example, does the mother whose soldier son is missing in action, or the family of an Alzheimer's patient who is suffering from severe dementia, deal with the uncertainty surrounding this kind of loss? In this sensitive and lucid account, Pauline Boss explains that, all too often, those confronted with such ambiguous loss fluctuate between hope and hopelessness. Suffered too long, these emotions can deaden feeling and make it impossible for people to move on with their lives. Yet the central message of this book is that they can move on. Drawing on her research and clinical experience, Boss suggests strategies that can cushion the pain and help families come to terms with their grief. Her work features the heartening narratives of those who cope with ambiguous loss and manage to leave their sadness behind, including those who have lost family members to divorce, immigration, adoption, chronic mental illness, and brain injury. With its message of hope, this eloquent book offers guidance and understanding to those struggling to regain their lives. Table of Contents: 1. Frozen Grief 2. Leaving without Goodbye 3. Goodbye without Leaving 4. Mixed Emotions 5. Ups and Downs 6. The Family Gamble 7. The Turning Point 8. Making Sense out of Ambiguity 9. The Benefit of a Doubt Notes Acknowledgments Reviews of this book: You will find yourself thinking about the issues discussed in this book long after you put it down and perhaps wishing you had extra copies for friends and family members who might benefit from knowing that their sorrows are not unique...This book's value lies in its giving a name to a force many of us will confront--sadly, more than once--and providing personal stories based on 20 years of interviews and research. --Pamela Gerhardt, Washington Post Reviews of this book: A compassionate exploration of the effects of ambiguous loss and how those experiencing it handle this most devastating of losses ... Boss's approach is to encourage families to talk together, to reach a consensus about how to mourn that which has been lost and how to celebrate that which remains. Her simple stories of families doing just that contain lessons for all. Insightful, practical, and refreshingly free of psychobabble. --Kirkus Review Reviews of this book: Engagingly written and richly rewarding, this title presents what Boss has learned from many years of treating individuals and families suffering from uncertain or incomplete loss...The obvious depth of the author's understanding of sufferers of ambiguous loss and the facility with which she communicates that understanding make this a book to be recommended. --R. R. Cornellius, Choice Reviews of this book: Written for a wide readership, the concepts of ambiguous loss take immediate form through the many provocative examples and stories Boss includes, All readers will find stories with which they will relate...Sensitive, grounded and practical, this book should, in my estimation, be required reading for family practitioners. --Ted Bowman, Family Forum Reviews of this book: Dr. Boss describes [the] all-too-common phenomenon [of unresolved grief] as resulting from either of two circumstances: when the lost person is still physically present but emotionally absent or when the lost person is physically absent but still emotionally present. In addition to senility, physical presence but psychological absence may result, for example, when a person is suffering from a serious mental disorder like schizophrenia or depression or debilitating neurological damage from an accident or severe stroke, when a person abuses drugs or alcohol, when a child is autistic or when a spouse is a workaholic who is not really 'there' even when he or she is at home...Cases of physical absence with continuing psychological presence typically occur when a soldier is missing in action, when a child disappears and is not found, when a former lover or spouse is still very much missed, when a child 'loses' a parent to divorce or when people are separated from their loved ones by immigration...Professionals familiar with Dr. Boss's work emphasised that people suffering from ambiguous loss were not mentally ill, but were just stuck and needed help getting past the barrier or unresolved grief so that they could get on with their lives. --Asian Age Combining her talents as a compassionate family therapist and a creative researcher, Pauline Boss eloquently shows the many and complex ways that people can cope with the inevitable losses in contemporary family life. A wise book, and certain to become a classic. --Constance R. Ahrons, author of The Good Divorce A powerful and healing book. Families experiencing ambiguous loss will find strategies for seeing what aspects of their loved ones remain, and for understanding and grieving what they have lost. Pauline Boss offers us both insight and clarity. --Kathy Weingarten, Ph.D, The Family Institute of Cambridge, Harvard Medical School

Not This Widow

Not This Widow PDF Author: Dilys Sillah
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781912551910
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
Not This Widow is an intimate and poignant memoir about the sudden death of a much-loved husband and father. After unexpectedly becoming a widow, Dilys Sillah recounts her experience of transitioning from a devoted wife to a young widow thwarted with challenges she could never have imagined. Losing a loved one is gut-wrenching enough, yet this book explores the significant role that culture and tradition play in stifling the grieving process of new widows. Not This Widow, speaks of the unspoken challenges, pressures and traditions forced upon some widows. Complete with four stories from other women who share similar experiences, this book gives voice to many widows whose stories and experiences have gone undocumented and urges us to change the narrative. This book provides practical advice for anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one. It is a powerful story of resilience, steely determination and dignity, giving hope to anyone who has loved and lost too soon.

Confessions of a Mediocre Widow

Confessions of a Mediocre Widow PDF Author: Catherine Tidd
Publisher: Sourcebooks
ISBN: 9781402285226
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"I spent my 11th wedding anniversary planning my husband's funeral. If I could just figure out how to make that rhyme, it would be the beginning of a great country song." Confessions of a Mediocre Widow is a roller coaster look at one widow's journey through the odyssey of grief and the many missteps, crying jags, fights, hilarity, pedicures, and lying required to get through it. Catherine Tidd shares the story of what it was to honor her husband, to get her three kids (all under 6) through the day (with perhaps more sugar and television than might have been necessary), and come to terms with his loss, in a way that's real, rough, and honest.

Too Much Loss: Coping with Grief Overload

Too Much Loss: Coping with Grief Overload PDF Author: Alan Wolfelt
Publisher: Companion Press
ISBN: 1617222887
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 53

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Book Description
Grief overload is what you feel when you experience too many significant losses all at once, in a relatively short period of time, or cumulatively. In addition to the deaths of loved ones, such losses can also include divorce, estrangement, illness, relocation, job changes, and more. Our minds and hearts have enough trouble coping with a single loss, so when the losses pile up, the grief often seems especially chaotic and defeating. The good news is that through intentional, active mourning, you can and will find your way back to hope and healing. This compassionate guide will show you how.

It's OK That You're Not OK

It's OK That You're Not OK PDF Author: Megan Devine
Publisher: Sounds True
ISBN: 1622039084
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
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.

Second Firsts

Second Firsts PDF Author: Christina Rasmussen
Publisher:
ISBN: 1401940838
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
Presents a guide for dealing with grief and loss, detailing five steps of healing that can lead to a lifestyle alignment with personal values and new possibilities for a re-engaged life. --Publisher's description.

Black Widow

Black Widow PDF Author: Leslie Gray Streeter
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316490725
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
With her signature warmth, hilarity, and tendency to overshare, Leslie Gray Streeter gives us real talk about love, loss, grief, and healing in your own way that "will make you laugh and cry, sometimes on the same page" (James Patterson). 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.

Saturday Night Widows

Saturday Night Widows PDF Author: Becky Aikman
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0307590445
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description
In this transcendent and infectiously wise memoir, Becky Aikman—a widow, too young, too modern to accept the role—forms an unlikely group with five other young widows, each seeking a way forward in a strange and disquieting world. A warm, witty, and compassionate guide on this journey, Aikman explores surprising new discoveries about how people are transformed by adversity, learning the value of new experiences, humor, and friendship. The Saturday Night Widows band together to bring these ideas to life, striking out on ever more far-flung adventures and navigating the universal perils of finding love and meaning. Theirs is a transporting true story of six marriages, six heartbreaks, and one shared beginning—an inspiring testament to what friends can achieve when they hold each other up. Saturday Night Widows is the rare book that will make you laugh, think, and remind yourself that despite the utter unpredictability and occasional tragedy of life, it is also precious, fragile, and often more joyous than we recognize. Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content