Table of Contents
Introduction
Part One: Managing the Emotions
Those Crazy Emotions
“This Can’t Be Happening”
“I’m Stunned”
“The Funeral is Over, but the Loss Isn’t”
“My Heart is Broken”
“I’m Learning to Express What I’m Feeling”
“It was All So Sudden”
“I Can’t Catch My Breath”
“I Thought I was Prepared”
“This Hurts So Badly”
“I’m Numb”
“I’m Anxious about Everything”
“I’m Tired All the Time”
“The Air I Breathe is a Reminder”
“I’ve Lost My Best Friend”
“Our Marriage Wasn’t the Best”
“Everything Reminds Me of Him”
“I Feel Lost”
“I Miss His Voice”
“Am I Going Crazy?”
“I Feel Guilty”
“I’m Relieved”
“Why?”
“I Hate Coming Home to an Empty House”
“I Miss the Little Things”
“I Didn’t Know What I Had”
“I Throw Eggs and Break Dishes”
“I Lost Him in Pieces”
“It’s Not Fair!”
“I Feel Depressed”
“She Didn’t Deserve This”
“Everything that Happens is Big Now”
“Life as I Knew It is Done”
“My Dreams are Gone”
“I Can’t Imagine the World without Her”
“Half my Heart is Gone”
“It’s Not Getting Any Easier”
Riding the Roller-Coaster Well
Part Two: Navigating the Relationships
People Can Make the Difference
“People Just Don’t Get It”
“My Dog Reminds Me Every Day”
“How Do I Parent Through This?”
“My Kids are Hurting”
“Family has been the Most Comforting Part”
“Family has been a Pain”
“No One Understands”
“I’ve been Surprised by Kindness”
“I Want to Be Alone Sometimes”
“My Friends Evaporated”
“People Pushed Me to Make Decisions”
“Buck Up and Get Over It?”
“I’m More Vulnerable than I Thought”
“Others Don’t Want to Hear about My Pain”
“They Kept Asking What They Could Do”
“I Needed People Who Knew Grief”
“Others are in the Same Boat”
Why You Need a Grief Recovery Team
Part Three: Leaning Forward
The Rearview Mirror
“It Feels Like Yesterday”
“Shouldn’t I Be Better by Now?”
“No Major Decisions!”
“Our Anniversary is Coming Up”
“Her Birthday is Next Week”
“Happy Holidays?”
“How Can I Go On Without Her?”
“How Am I Going to Find That Again?”
“The Color is Coming Back”
“I’ll Always Miss Him”
“I’m Going to Make It”
How Long Will This Take?
Some Final Thoughts
A Request from the Author
About The Author
An Urgent Plea