Grief may be a natural experience that affects us all, but the process of grieving is different for everyone. Guided by the journal entries of a beloved mother who died from cancer, The Hardest Part About guides readers on a search for meaning, comfort, and support after the loss of a loved one. The author, who lost his mom at age fourteen, recalls how family members coped after her death from cancer. He also shares how she’s still making an impact on his life ten years after she died. More than 1.9 million children in America have to accept the death of a parent, and in writing this book, the author—a music therapist who has helped others cope with grief—seeks to resolve facets of his own grief. Each chapter follows the author’s journey of learning, starting with a different “hardest-part-about” aspect of grief—from the shock of his mother’s diagnosis, to the anticipation of her death, the immediate aftermath of her death, and beyond. Whether you’re struggling with losing a loved one or helping someone navigate a journey of their own, you’ll find meaningful insights to help you through the hardest parts of grief with this book.

Stark, moving but with glimmers of humour amongst the wreckage, "The Hardest Part" asks perhaps the hardest question of all when faced with the horrors of the 1st World War - where was God to be found in the carnage of the western front? Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy's answer, that through the cross God shares in human suffering rather than being a ‘passionate potentate’ looking down unmoved by death, injury and destruction on an immense scale, was, and still is, revolutionary. Marking the centenary both of the end of the First World War and the original publication of The Hardest Part, this new critical edition contains a contextual introduction, a brief biography of Studdert Kennedy, annotated bibliography and the full text of the first edition of the book, with explanatory notes.

Fans of Jodi Picoult, Susan Lewis, Mitch Alborn and Alice Sebold will love this compelling, emotionally charged and unforgettable novel from international bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde. 'A heroic, superbly crafted novel worth reading again and again and again' - The Denver Post 'Ryan Hyde spins her tale so effortlessly that the reader closes the book with a quiet sense of elation' -- San Francisco Chronicle 'I couldn't put it down' -- ****** Reader review 'Pure emotion' -- ***** Reader review 'This book held me spellbound to the end' -- ***** Reader review 'Absolutely loved this book' -- ***** Reader review **************************************************************** THERE'S A SPLIT SECOND BETWEEN HAVING IT ALL, AND LOSING EVERYTHING. Hayden briefly has it all: a wife and daughter he adores and a baby on the way. But when his son dies at birth, a deep anger emerges, robbing Hayden of everything. Years on, Hayden is living in self-imposed exile. He's just lost his beloved dog and is now losing Laurel, the only woman he's loved since... But just as Hayden's rage rises again, a young figure from the past emerges, forcing him to re-visit his long-buried childhood...

Many managers thrive on overseeing budgets and paperwork, but theyre intimidated when it comes to communicating, listening, and being diplomatic. These skills are often seen as side dishes to the real meat of business, but in private, veteran managers will tell you that these soft-side skills matter the most. William D. Mayo, who served his country in the U.S. Navy for nine years before spending almost thirty years at Caterpillar Inc., helps you master soft-side skills that will boost results at your business or organization. Learn how to: achieve more while experiencing less stress; speak the truth without apologyespecially when dealing with employees; and deploy a people-centric philosophy rooted in courage, service, love, and authenticity to unleash the power of people. Mayo weaves in lessons from his experiences as an executive officer of a ship, a battalion commander for more than nine hundred recruits and senior noncommissioned officers, and an executive at one of Americas industrial giants and most admired companies so you can master soft-side skills that will boost performance.

In this collection of stories, Vietnam Veteran Bruce I. McDaniel explores his feelings about the process of coming home from the war.

Let this book be a guide to helping you find the motivation to getting you goals accomplished. After all, the hardest part truly is the beginning...

Fusing an intimate memoir with an outspoken critique of organized religion's failure to welcome all into its community, The House Where the Hardest Things Happened is the moving story of one woman's search for a sense of belonging. Growing up in a small town in New Hampshire, Kate Young Caley attends a strong community church where everyone is treated like family, members selflessly help one another, and all the kids are made to feel special. Then, suddenly, everything changes. Her father is hospitalized for many months and her mother is forced to take a job as a waitress to support the family. But the job requires Kate's mother to serve alcohol, which goes against the church's covenant, and the family, banned from attending services, soon finds itself emotionally ostracized from the community. In The House Where the Hardest Things Happened, Caley recounts the hurt and confusion she felt as a young girl and her long search for a religious community that would comfort her spiritually, support her emotionally, and respect her intellectual ideals. As she chronicles her journey, she candidly discusses her problems with the way the Christian faith is expressed and with the people who lay claim to it. Her exploration of religious teachings on homosexuality is especially powerful as she explains why she is unwilling, and unable, to deny the love she has for her gay brother. At once the story of a family profoundly transformed by tragedy and an incisive exploration of the meaning of spirituality, The House Where the Hardest Things Happened will appeal to readers of Joyce Carol Oates’s We Were the Mulvaneys and Anne Lamott’s Traveling Mercies. Beautifully written, it brings to life Caley's inspiring determination to reclaim her right to practice her beliefs–the most basic human right of all.

In The Hardest Thing I'll Ever Do, Linda Guebert shares her personal grief journey following the sudden death of her husband only nine months after they were married. At times heartrending, occasionally funny, her compelling account moves us through sorrow, anger and despair to renewed hope and commitment to life. A powerful story of healing and personal growth, The Hardest Thing I'll Ever Do is a valuable resource for those who have suffered the loss of someone they love – and for those who strive to understand grief and offer support to others.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "A memoir in essays about so many things—growing up in an abusive cult, coming of age as a lesbian in the military, forced out by homophobia, living on the margins as a working class woman and what it’s like to grow into the person you are meant to be. Hough’s writing will break your heart." —Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist Searing and extremely personal essays, shot through with the darkest elements America can manifest, while discovering light and humor in unexpected corners. As an adult, Lauren Hough has had many identities: an airman in the U.S. Air Force, a cable guy, a bouncer at a gay club. As a child, however, she had none. Growing up as a member of the infamous cult The Children of God, Hough had her own self robbed from her. The cult took her all over the globe--to Germany, Japan, Texas, Chile—but it wasn't until she finally left for good that Lauren understood she could have a life beyond "The Family." Along the way, she's loaded up her car and started over, trading one life for the next. She's taken pilgrimages to the sights of her youth, been kept in solitary confinement, dated a lot of women, dabbled in drugs, and eventually found herself as what she always wanted to be: a writer. Here, as she sweeps through the underbelly of America—relying on friends, family, and strangers alike—she begins to excavate a new identity even as her past continues to trail her and color her world, relationships, and perceptions of self. At once razor-sharp, profoundly brave, and often very, very funny, the essays in Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing interrogate our notions of ecstasy, queerness, and what it means to live freely. Each piece is a reckoning: of survival, identity, and how to reclaim one's past when carving out a future. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL

In 2021, author Kevin B. Jones was diagnosed with cancer. His friend Billy told him, “Let the medical team take care of the cancer; you take care of Kevin.” Kevin runs ultra-marathons. Could he run through cancer? This is the tale of Kevin doing what Kevin does–living each day, running each day, as cancer and the treatment wrought their changes. This celebrates those who shared their lives and love with him in the most brutal race he ever attempted. About the Author Kevin B. Jones is a botany professor at Charleston Southern University. He retired from the Navy in 1995. He is an educator, runner, crazy cat person, gardener, and occasional writer. He lives near Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife, Anne Jones, and cat-persons Tigger, Spider, and Samwise.