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๐Ÿ“š Grief & Loss Books!

โ–ถ๏ธTo reply, click on reply button at bottom of this post. Enter your text. Click reply button again.โ—€๏ธ

 

(1) Have YOU read any books that has/is HELPING YOU? ๐Ÿค”

 

(2) Check out the books OTHER MEMBERS have mentioned.

 

Grief & Loss Team ๐ŸคŽ๐Ÿค—

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I just finished The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. She is an excellent writer and captures the dimensions of loss, grief, and mourning from her personal perspective. Even though her circumstances were different than mine, I related easily to the feelings and experiences on her journey.

 

Marcy

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As our population ages and losses of loved ones are paramount, grief becomes a way of life for many.  The Author of "Je T'aime" (I love you) - Nicole Leclerc Cunningham shares: "When my husband of 30 years, my best friend and soul mate crossed over to the Other Side, I slowly opened myself to sharing my grieving journey that depicts the most intimate aspects of a relationship that would endure, thrive, and continue to flourish from This Side to the Other Side.  It embraces the love of a husband and wife that transformed into a mystical union. "Je Tโ€™aimeโ€ brings spiritual support, encouragement and hope to anyone who has lost a loved one.  It brings us hope that, when a loved one crosses over to the Other Side, death is only a transition between our two worlds. 

โ€œThis book is an uncommon testament to an uncommon love.  Brace yourself.  You have never read another book like it in intensity and truth.โ€  Dr. David Biebel, First Edition Publisher.

 

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I respect this author, Nicole LeClerc Cunningham for keeping a running recording of her experinces on her grief journey and imagine that it played a significant role in her healing. It is also admirable that she decided to share her personal experiences with readers. As I read this book, I tried to think not only about how I perceived it but also how it might be perceived by a broader audience. Cunningham had a very special relationship with her husband and numerous encounters and connections with him after he physically left this life. I think that is important for readers to know because it could be encouraging and comforting for some and possibly frustrating and discouraging for others.

Marcy

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Thank you Cadee  ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

 

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Good Morning!  This, Widow to Widow was the first book that I read.  At the time the deaths were fresh in my mind and I was not able to truly comprehend the "message".  I set it aside until I felt stronger and then began to read the book again.  I find that there are many helpful thoughts to process and to apply to my healing.  I keep it on my nightstand and often refer to it on issues that I still struggle with.  The book that I am now reading is "Different After You" by Michele Neff Hernandez.  I find that I have to read these self-help books in small doses to be able to fully comprehend the messages.  I often get lost in the narrative and think about my husband, my son and my brother and my interactions with them while they were alive.  I have found the books to be very helpful for me and my recovery.

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Thank you Marcy  ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

 

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Nicole @SpringIsHereSoHappy ,

 

I just finished reading Build the Life You Want by Arthur C Brooks & Oprah Winfrey. I don't know that there was anything earth shatteringly new, but it didn't hurt to have known information refreshed. There is a section on managing emotions that is beneficial and a lot on the four pillars of Family, Friendship, Work, and Faith and how they contribute to your happiness. The part about identifying your friends as either real or deal was interesting and a little eye opening.

 

Marcy

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I have been researching a number of books.  Hello from Heaven, Healing after Loss, So Sorry for Your Loss, Forever More (written by a  medium I know and have been working with) and How to Go on Living When Someone you love Dies.  They all provide insight to overcoming grief.  I also joined Griefshare and I am in my 3 session this Saturday.

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Thank you Estelle  ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

 

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Thank you for that information.  I have been researching many books on loss of a loved one.  I recently saw the movie After Death.  It was a wonderful documentary that discusses the experiences of those that have witnessed a near death experience.  I encourage everyone to go see it.  It gives one a perspective of what awaits us on the other side.

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Yes, my Hospice Grief Counselor recommended


@Anonymous wrote:

โ–ถ๏ธTo reply, click on reply button at bottom of this post. Enter your text. Click reply button again.โ—€๏ธ

 

(1) Have YOU read any books that has/is HELPING YOU? ๐Ÿค”

 

(2) Check out the books OTHER MEMBERS have mentioned.

 

Grief & Loss Team ๐ŸคŽ๐Ÿค—


Yes, my Hospice Grief Counselor recommended The Grieving Brain, by Mary-Frances O'Connor.  Professor O'Connor is a neuroscientist and psychologist at the University of Arizona.  The book discusses research performed in animal and human tests on how the brain navigates various challenges.  According to the book, our brain trusts and makes predictions based on our lived experiences.  When you lose a loved one, our brain cannot immediately process the death as part of reality according to the virtual map it has created for each of us.  It will take time and new lived experiences are needed for our brain to remap our virtual map (this is my paraphrase).  Wow.  I was drawn to this book because my Grief Counselor said that the brain plays over the same past experiences, looking for outcomes.  That may be why I keep replaying past experiences without any real change in outcomes which is self-evident but not necessarily accepted by our brain.  It may also explain why it takes a longer time for the brain to remap.  So much for quickly getting "over the loss of a loved one."  It is helpful to me in better understanding why I keep replaying past scenarios without much healing.  Other than lessons learned and with it the appreciation of blessings experienced in the past, the past is the past.  Perhaps the point is developing new lived experiences?  Realizing all of that, I wonder how a terminally ill person processes their situation.  How does the brain handle it?  That may help explain why some patients act the way they do in this most difficult of times.  That notion may also help us to better understand and potentially forgive them and us for unhappy end of life interactions.  Profound.  I am still reading the book but thought it was important to share with you all.  Have a good weekend.  Your friend, Sue

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Two books that have been helpful to me are ..."I Wasn't Ready To Say Goodbye" by Brook Noel & Pamela D. Blair, PHD  and The Love Never Ends (Messages from the Other Side ) by Sunny Dawn Joh;nson." ..Both have given me insight and comfort in reading them...

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Thank you Jonibee  ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

 

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You're busy trying to care for all of us so no problem!

 

Marcy

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Thank you Sue  ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

 

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Itโ€™s not a book on loss or grieving, but I am reading Build the Life You Want The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. brooks and Oprah Winfrey. Iโ€™m not quite halfway through it so I canโ€™t give it a fair review yet.

 

Marcy

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Marcy @MarcyW882921 , is there an author? ๐Ÿค”  Read your post, not seeing one.

 

Different After You Rediscovering Yourself and Healing After Grief and Trauma.

 

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Michele Neff Hernandez

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Marcy @MarcyW882921 , is there an author?  ๐Ÿค”  Read your post, not seeing one?

 

On Death and Grieving: A Psychic Medium's Perspective.

 

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Jeffrey A. Wands

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๐Ÿ‘ฃ  1 Step At A Time!

 

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Evening, I'm rereading some of the earlier book.  It talked about some tips on introducing your adult children to the idea on dating.  One interesting note is that I finding its easier to talk to widows versus divorced women.  I guess since we in the same "club", there's more commonality.

 

Stay safe, Bill

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Thank you Bill  ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

 

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Good morning to each of you and I hope you're seeing the sun and drinking some coffee.  Early on I knew that I did not understand my grief and it's wicked ways so I started reading.  I read three books by female authors and then two by male authors.  The books by widows were helpful however the books by widowers really helped me.  

Those are The Widowers Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer (best one) and When Your Spouse Dies, A Widow and Widower's Handbook by Othniel J. Seiden and Jane Bilett.  

 

I tell folks that reading does not stop the pain or speed up the recovery but it helped me understand the feelings, emotions, the process, what's normal, and even how to move on to dating etc. I've got 4 married kids who currently are struggling with my interest in dating.

 

Do take a look at a good book, read it a little and if it fits continue. I tossed a couple books that were to factual and directive in providing guidance (like remove spouse from checking account, remove spouse from titles, remove spouse from deed, change your beneficiaries, etc.). Not what I needed during that time.

 

Last comment from me is to reach out to old friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, and reshape your life.

Take care, Bill

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๐Ÿ‘ฃ  1 Step At A Time!

 

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I recently saw an interview with Arthur C. Brooks talking about the book he co-authored with Oprah Winfrey. The title of the book is Build the Life You Want. I have not read the book, but he spoke about pillars for building happiness that are the core of the book. Although the book is not about loss or grief, it may have something to offer.

 

As a mourner, your life is changed and there is a need to build a new life around the grief that will forever be a part of you. The question is how do you do it? The pillars that were mentioned in the interview are things that come up repeatedly in books about loss. The pillars he identified were faith, family, friendship and work that serves other people. I have spent my first year incorporating all of these pieces and all of them have been beneficial.

 

Marcy

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Nicole @SpringIsHereSoHappy 

A friend of mine suggested a book entitled Journey of Souls by Michael Newton PhD.  I have a thing about having to finish a book so I am getting close and will see it through to the end. The beginning of the book seemed ok, but the deeper he got into the case studies of past life regressions, the more tedious the reading became for me. My friend obviously liked the book or she wouldn't have recommended it to me. That's how it is with us humans, we are individuals with our own likes and dislikes.

 

Marcy

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To the people who have lost a son or daughter:

 

Back some years back my son and his new wife were in a fatal car accident.  I bought so many books! But of all those books which I read there was one that stood out. I gave all my books away to other grievers but I think now I might rebuy my favorite- โ€œWhen Bad Things Happen to Good Peopleโ€by Harold Kushner.  It really spoke to me when I lost my wonderful adult child.You can of course get it with Amazon.

 

 

 

Maybe it will again with a lost spouse.  

 

Blessings to all,

Kristine

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Thank You for your suggestion.  I lost my son 6 months before my husband died.  I lost my brother one month before my husband died.  I am searching for guidance on how to cope with all this loss.  I have read Widow to Widow and I have ordered the book you mentioned along with Different After You.  I struggle to find "purpose" in my life without all the people that I loved.  One wonders how much grief one can handle.

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