Revised and updated, this tender book offers encouragement and hope to those who may think they will never be able to get on with life after losing a child.

As parents, nearly all mothers and fathers form a bond with their offspring at the moment of birth. As we parents know, children do not come with instructions, however. The business of raising them to become productive members of society is a roller-coaster of ups and downs. This series of trials and errors helps to define and solidify the parental bond. When that bond is severed by loss, the ensuing chaos sends a grieving parent into a tailspin. When that loss is unexpected and there is no time to prepare, the grief can be particularly debilitating. Parents are not supposed to outlive their children. Just as children do not come with instructions for their raising, there are no instructions for how to deal with the grief which consumes us when we lose one. How can one survive the crippling effects of this tragedy? The enormity of that tragedy is compounded when more than one child is unexpectedly lost. As you read my story of the loss of two of my three children, I hope this survivor's perspective will help to shed light on a very complex and personally-unique emotion and serve as an inspiration for others experiencing the same grief. With belief in God, the love of family, support of friends, compassion from strangers, and the passage of time, it truly is possible to overcome the debilitating effects of grief.

"This is a gem! A guidepost for healing the hurt and finding hope in the presence of grief. The Mundays show us not only how to survive the death of a child but how to find hope in living once again. A gift of great grace"...Darcie D. Sims, PH.D.

How do parents accept the loss and fully recover from the tragedy of losing a child? Is healing ever possible? How? In Out of the Darkness: Surviving the Death of a Child, Walter Prunzik bares his soul on how he survived the death of his son, Keith. Prunzik shares a very personal experience so a staggering number of parents experiencing the same loss will know that they are not alone, that there is hope, that they will survive the trauma, and that life is still beautiful and worth living. In this fast-paced read, Prunzik tells his readers that parents “act” and “react” to the loss of their child based on the “agreements” they have made in their lifetime, forming a paradigm that they will accept as reality. Once caught up in this drama, only “new realities” can liberate parents so they will not be caught up in the lies brought by technology and old beliefs. Out of the Darkness reveals to grieving parents how they can survive this tragedy of loss by identifying these agreements one at a time, grabbing and yanking them, and replacing them with new ones to pave the way to a new and God-appointed outlook of death and loss.

When I first became bereaved in 2005, after the suicide of my daughter at age twenty-two, more than anything I wanted another bereaved parent to tell me exactly what I could expect from my grief. What would it be like? Would it ever end? Critically, how could I possibly live without my child? I was terrified. I had thousands of questions and no real answers. The future looked bleak. Fifteen years later, I am that parent I so desperately wanted to learn from. This book is to help newly bereaved parents who have lost their child to suicide navigate early grief and be aware of the issues that can complicate grief. The body of each chapter has been written as a personal letter to my daughter. In a raw and candid sharing, I recount the difficult emotions and issues that have challenged my efforts to fully heal from her suicide. The lessons learned at the end of each chapter are the result of the introspection that only time can give us. They are intended to help every parent reading this book find comfort and healing on their journey from all that I’ve learned looking back on my own. While all bereaved parents have thousands of questions related to the death of their child, suicide presents its own unique questions and challenges. Not knowing the reasons for their child’s death can create lasting suffering for grieving parents and complicate their grief. Time is bittersweet. The more it passes, the more it can challenge bereaved parents to accept the finality of their child’s death. It can also trap us in only surviving the trauma and pain we experience after our losing our child, rather than being able to embrace truly living. But time also gives us the increasing courage and ability to reflect on our loss and pain, which is necessary to heal. I remain optimistic that we can heal from what is perhaps the toughest loss for anyone to bear. This book comforts and encourages every bereaved parent to contemplate the difficulties that will challenge them in their grief. It also serves as a compass to guide them to the destination they want and that does await them when they believe and trust that they can and will find their way.

The most helpful grief book to read when you're ready to start healing after the loss of a loved one. Discover the transformative power of healing and hope with this top-rated grief book and compassionate guide for those navigating the challenging journey of grief and loss. Written with profound wisdom and heartfelt empathy, I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye gently walks readers through the stages of grief, providing practical tools and empowering strategies to cope with the pain and confusion that accompany the loss of a loved one. Whether you've experienced the recent passing of a family member, friend, or even a pet, this book offers solace and guidance to help you navigate your unique grieving process. Features include: Practical Guidance: Learn effective coping strategies and practical tools to navigate the grieving process. Empathy and Understanding: Feel understood and supported through heartfelt anecdotes and relatable experiences. Personal Growth: Find solace and meaning in your grief journey as you embark on a path of healing and personal growth. Comprehensive Resource: Access a comprehensive guide that addresses various aspects of grief, including anticipatory grief, sudden loss, and long-term complicated grief. Hope and Inspiration: Embrace a message of hope and inspiration, knowing that healing is possible even in the face of profound loss. Whether you are at the beginning of your grief journey or further along the path, this book will help you find the strength to heal, honor your loved one's memory, and rediscover joy and purpose in your life. Praise for I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: "I highly recommend this book, not only to the bereaved, but to friends and counselors as well."— Helen Fitzgerald, author of The Grieving Child, The Mourning Handbook, and The Grieving Teen "This book, by women who have done their homework on grief... can hold a hand and comfort a soul through grief's wilderness. Outstanding references of where to see other help."— George C. Kandle, Pastoral Psychologist "Finally, you have found a friend who can not only explain what has just occurred, but can take you by the hand and lead you to a place of healing and personal growth...this guide can help you survive and cope, but even more importantly... heal."— The Rebecca Review "For those dealing with the loss of a loved one, or for those who want to help someone who is, this is a highly recommended read."—Midwest Book Review Named a Best Book on Losing a Parent for 2022 by Choosing Therapy.

As a result of experiencing four miscarriages in sixteen months, Lorraine faced the most challenging time of her life. When she searched for a resource to relate to during her times of isolation, she was left feeling more detached because nothing spoke to her postpartum depressive state or overwhelming feelings of hopelessness. This propelled her to begin writing for not only personal therapy, but ultimately to share her story with others who may be experiencing something similar. My New Normal: Surviving My Miscarriages details her transformative journey of self-discovery that chronicles the small peaks and deep valleys of miscarriage that are often only known to the ones who have experienced it. It is a very honest look and sometimes real-time documentation of the raw emotions and life-questioning moments experienced when you lose an unborn child. It's also the examination of the stigma surrounding miscarriage and the new normal of silent suffering that many women face.

Advice from One Grieving Mom to Others When Kim’s three-year-old son tragically passed away, she found plenty of resources on grieving. She says what she really needed, though, "was someone who would give me advice for living, not just grieving . . . How do I get through the grocery store without crying? What do I do with my son’s things? When will my mind stop replaying the emergency room scene?" Now, ten years later, she’s written that book. With raw vulnerability, a deep well of wisdom, and the practical knowledge of someone who’s been there, she walks grieving moms through the life-after-death process from how to plan the funeral to how to deal with friends, family, holidays, and birthdays. This is a profound and powerful resource that’s invaluable for the mom who has lost a child—and for her friends and family who want to love her well.

The death of a child has a tremendous and overwhelming impact on parents and siblings, completely altering the psychological landscape of the family. In the aftermath of such a tragedy, parents face the challenge of not only dealing with their own grief, but also that of their surviving children. How can someone attempt to cease parenting a deceased child while maintaining this role with his/her other children? Is it possible for a mother or father to effectively deal with feelings of grief and loss while simultaneously helping their surviving children? Parenting After the Death of a Child: A Practitioner’s Guide addresses this complex and daunting dilemma. Following on the heels of a qualitative research study that involved interviewing bereaved parents, both fathers and mothers, Buckle and Fleming have put together several different stories of loss and recovery to create an invaluable resource for clinicians, students, and grieving parents. The authors present the experience of losing a child and its subsequent impact on a family in a novel and effective way, demonstrating the strength and importance of their book for the counseling field.

My intent in writing this guide is to give others, like you, the benefit of my own experience and to make sure that the pain is not compounded by uncertainty, unawareness, ignorance or lack of information. Yes, this is a tragic event, one that none of us would wish on our worst enemies. Yet, if anything can help make it a little better, it is the certainty of knowing exactly what we are going through, the knowledge of what to expect and the tools to teach us how to cope. For those who have suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage, Surviving Miscarriage helps you find the compassionate support you so desperately need. Florida psychologist Stacey McLaughlin survived two miscarriages in one year--and thankfully discovered the powerful secret to lasting inner healing. McLaughlin addresses the variety of emotions a woman experiences after a miscarriage and focuses on how to mend your soul. With her unique and simple thirty-day plan, you'll be gently guided through meaningful steps to help you banish undeserved shame, embrace comforting emotional recovery, and move forward with confident hope for your future.