Jewish tradition encourages study as a way of honoring the memory of those who are no longer among us. Grief in Our Seasons offers a comforting link between study and the tradition of saying Kaddish, helping those who are mourning to heal at their own pace and to cherish the memory of their loved ones each and every day. Each section of Grief in Our Seasons is devoted to a stage of mourning, providing daily readings from sacred Jewish texts and words of inspiration, comfort, and understanding. “Meditations Before Saying Kaddish” share the insights of others who have faced the challenges of mourning, and tell how they found solace during the process.

The quiet letting go of Autumn, the reflective stillness of Winter, the bright rebirth of Spring, and the flourishing warmth of Summer trace the natural path of grief as it grows and changes to fit the spaces left behind by those we love. Easy-to-use exercise guides and activities invite readers to explore the changeable nature of grief through the ebb and flow of the seasons. As well as contributions from diverse creative practitioners, poems from Dr. Robert Neimeyer and reflections from Claudia Coenen create a starting point to delve into the emotional context of each chapter, encouraging the reader to view each personal account and case study through the lens of a different phase of grief. This heart-centred, compassionate approach infuses bereavement therapy with much-needed warmth, supporting clinically-proven techniques to guide users towards practical, healthy ways of processing their loss. Bringing together voices and art from across the spectrum of creative grief therapy, Coenen provides an accessible, compassionate guide to supporting those coping with bereavement throughout their journey.

This unique book celebrates a long-term, interracial relationship and details the everyday struggles of a surviving partner trying to carry on in a radically changed world. A Season of Grief chronicles the author's emotional descent after the violent death of his partner of 21 years. Bill Valentine's journal of fear, anger, denial, and loneliness captures the glimmers of hope, moments of serendipity, and mysterious coincidences that emerged from his full-time devotion to grief following the death of Joe Lopes. Lopes died along with 264 others when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in November 2001 in route to the Dominican Republic. It was the second deadliest accident in U.S. aviation history. He is a word always on my lips as I try to work him into a conversation. He is a memory that I strive to keep alive. So yes, in this sense, he is not gone. But in reality, he is. He is gone as my lover. He is gone as my life partner. He is gone as my soul mate, the only person to whom I periodically bared my soul. He is gone as my best friend, the only person to whom I ever attached that label. So pardon me while I still hang on to the notion that he is not here with me. Pardon me while I cling stubbornly to the insistence that he is gone. Valentine's candid and thoughtful account of his heartbreaking efforts to make sense of his partner's death—and survive in a world without him—is by turns, funny, frightening, sobering, and surprising. In the nine months following the tragedy of Flight 587, Valentine finds every waking moment of his life affected by his partner's absence—from mundane household chores to major life decisions. A Season of Grief is a story told in darkness and light, of hurt and healing, love and loneliness, but mostly, of a man who learns to live with his partner's absence through the persistent, surprising evidence of his presence. Our job on earth is to live with uncertainty, ambiguity, and hope. We are given a limited tool set but one, in my opinion, that's sufficient for the job. Sufficient to allow us to be engaged in life-to love, grieve, work, play, celebrate, and despair. We have a remarkable ability to rebound and grow. We have been granted the capacity for wonder and laughter—especially at ourselves. These last two gifts were bestowed generously on Joe and he, in turn, taught me how vital they are. Making a strong case for gay marriage, A Season of Grief chronicles Valentine's struggles to be recognized as a surviving spouse, including a historic lawsuit with Lambda Legal Defense and Education fund against the New York State Workers Compensation Board. Valentine and Lopes took every conceivable step to formalize their relationship, including New York City Domestic Partnership, but the Workers Compensation Board and a New York State appeals court refused to recognize Valentine as a legal surviving spouse. Grief doesn't come with a set of instructions. But A Season of Grief can help guide you through the lonely journey that follows the death of a loved one. Valentine's memoir is a testament to the healing power of reality and the enduring nature of love.

Grief has been one of my best teachers. No one signs up for this process that will touch all of us at some time in our life. After the death of my late husband of thirty years, I knew I was not exempt from the process and yet, if I had to go through it, I did not want to waste the pain. I quickly discovered that many people did not know much about the grief process or talk about it. I share in a transparent and down to earth way, that is easy for those who find themselves in the ashes of life or grief. As you read this book, my heart is for you to walk away with tools in your tool belt of life. This book is for those that have had any kind of loss in their life or have friends, coworkers, or family that have had losses. You'll learn what grief is, how it affects us, challenges of grief, benefits of grief, how to partner with the process, help those grieving, and secrets of building a new life. Hopefully, you will see the good in grief and reading this will unravel any lies you have believed about the process. My prayer is that another layer of healing and understanding will come to your heart, and you will learn how to Thrive in Seasons of Grief.

NEW THING I am a rarity in this modern world, in this Quantum Age, now, in the sea of life, we all have yachts with a spare engine and a jet ski. We like to keep moving, to duck and weave, to crawl if we cant walk, or to run in every other instance, we move, our culture, society, economy, media, ecology, our whole way of life, here in the West at least, has been centered around the notion that we always ought to be moving, full of motion sickness, this feeling, the feeling of moving (simulated to perfection by our greatest creation; the automobile), this allows us to know that we are in fact alive, and not dead, but I believe there is a further benefit, that this constant motion allows for us to ignore another of the more serious, life defining questions, what are we rushing towards? Where does this treadmill ultimately lead? The answer is the same for all of us, sick, healthy, fat, bald, ugly, short, accomplished, home-wreckers, murderers, free men; ultimately we will all die. Kevin Ross McMahon 11/19/1984 6/29/2013 Encourage each other in my death with calls to go farther up, and farther in in this life, so that you are prepared for the next as best you can. Alright, thats hardly all I have, but still it must suffice I fear. Peace, joy and delightful things to you all. Love, always; Ross

If you've lost a spouse, child, family member, or friend, you've discovered that few people understand the deep hurt you feel. Where do you turn for daily comfort and help? Where do you find the tools to move forward? Through a Season of Grief is the first 365-day devotional designed to support and uplift you in the first, most difficult year of bereavement. As you read through the pages of this 365-day devotional, you will better understand the grieving process and will receive needed encouragement along the way. These devotions offer biblical comfort and practical teaching that will enable you to take steps forward each day toward healing, including devotions specifically geared toward supporting you through your grief such as: How to embrace the grieving process How to cope when the meal train ends Who to turn to when you can’t control your emotions More than thirty respected Christian professionals—including Anne Graham Lotz, Kay Arthur, Jack Hayford, Elisabeth Elliot, Norman Wright, Barbara Johnson, and Luis Palau—share their insights on how to walk through the devastation of grief toward wholeness and hope. You will hear from people like you who have lost a loved one and have found God's healing presence amid despair. This unique devotional is based on GriefShare®, a national grief recovery support group program that has helped more than 100,000 families.

This narrative about two boys from different backgrounds touches on family, forgiveness, sport, and making peace with tragedy. Dan Snyder was not a sure thing in professional hockey, but defied expectations—playing for both the minor league's Chicago Wolves and the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers. Dany Heatley, on the other hand, had been tapped for success from the start as a college star and high draft pick. The two made an unlikely pair, but became friends. In September of 2003, the then 22-year-old Heatley lost control of his speeding Ferrari; Snyder was thrown from the vehicle and died six days later. The loss of their teammate, friend, and son sent those who knew Snyder looking for healing or revenge. As the legal story unfolds, so too does a story of forgiveness, rooted in the Canadian Mennonite tradition from which Snyder hailed. Snyder's family, taking an approach to their loss dictated by their faith, chose to make peace with both Heatley and his parents. This story of forgiveness reveals a lesson in loss, hope, and peace in the face of tragedy.

A book of poetry written during the early 20's of a man's life. It was written to serve as both an encouragement and reminder that love will triumph. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes a lot of time. But in the end love will overcome. This poetry book is a reflection of the ups and downs we face as we live out our lives here on earth -- fighting, breathing, battling for something better.

How much influence does culture have on a mother's reactions to pregnancy loss? At what stage is a fetus attributed with human status? How does this affect the mother's reactions to the loss of a baby?Contemporary, historical and oral-history accounts from regions as diverse as rural North India, urban America, South Africa and Northern Ireland, provide a fascinating insight into the experience and management of miscarriage across a number of different cultures. The authors explore how the social, technological and medical context in which miscarriages occur can affect the ways in which women experience such an event. In the West, advances in medical technology, a low infant-mortality rate and a low birth rate have raised expectations as to the successful outcome of each pregnancy. In addition, the early confirmation of pregnancy makes consequent pregnancy loss -- which might have gone unnoticed or unconfirmed in the past -- all the more difficult for mothers in the West. Yet, mourning rituals and behaviour at a pregnancy loss, which may be elaborate in some societies, are generally considered to be inappropriate in many Western societies. Differing social beliefs regarding the causes of miscarriage, preventative measures and curative treatments are also examined. Medical anthropologists, sociologists and health professionals will all find this book fascinating reading.

For many men, work, relationships, and life in general overwhelm their schedules and keep them from spending time with God. But what they don’t realize is that joy is found in those moments spent with their Creator. In Finding Joy in Every Season, Chris Corradino provides brief devotionals for every day to help men get in the Word and start their day off right. Spending just ten minutes with God will realign your focus and help you find the joy that comes in the everyday moments. Whether you’re struggling with just the day-to-day grind or going through a serious valley, Corradino points you to answers in God’s Word to help you along the way and remind you that you are never alone.