Hard. Grief is hard. Anyone who has gone through it will tell you that. But they will also tell you that you can get through it. 

Did You Know …

• The first holidays will be difficult for your friends and family.
• You might want to leave instructions asking them to put together a basket for the food bank in your memory, or make a Christmas ornament that has something to do with a memory of you, or dish out food at the homeless shelter.
• That while grief has its stages and you need to go through each of them, you can and should go through them in your own fashion and at your own pace.
• When grief becomes extended and begins to alter your life in significant ways, it’s time to get some professional help.

Beach Strangers at Dusk Photograph courtesy of Images by Ruth www.islandpath.com

 

• Memorial Tree planted in U.S. National Forests  https://thetreesremember.com
• No such thing as eco-friendly balloons https://ecopartybox.com.au/biodegradable-balloons/
• Tips for starting a grief journal https://www.joincake.com/blog/grief-journal/
• Memorial Party while still here on earth SeattlePI.com/lifestyle/311417_lifecelebrations13.html
• Elisabeth Kubler Ross official website http://www.ekrfoundation.org/
• GriefNet http://www.griefnet.org/
• GriefShare http://www.griefshare.org/
• Grief.com – Grief and the Holidays  https://grief.com/grief-the-holidays/
• Journey of Hearts Online place for anyone grieving a loss http://www.journeyofhearts.org/
• Mayo Clinic article on complicated grief http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/complicated-grief/DS01023/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
• Recover-From-Grief http://www.recover-from-grief.com/

Online Grief Support

• Online Grief Support  http://www.onlinegriefsupport.com/groups
• The Dinner Party https://www.thedinnerparty.org/how-it-works

Children and Grief

• National Alliance for Grieving Children – https://childrengrieve.org/resources/about-childhood-grief
• American Hospice https://americanhospice.org/grieving-children/helping-children-understand-funerals-planning-a-special-service-for-children/

Books

• In Loving Memory: A Child’s Journey to Understanding a Cremation Funeral and Starting the Grieving Process by Lacie Brueckner, Katherine Pendergast, Kat Socks, (Kat’s Socks, May 30, 2020)
• Logan’s First Funeral by  Leslie Delp M.A. (Author), Vicki Friedman (Illustrator), (Year of the Book Press, March 17, 2020)
• What About the Kids? Understanding Their Needs in Funeral Planning and Services by  The Dougy Center for Grieving Children, (Dougy Center, October 25, 1999)

Books for Grieving Children

• The Memory Box: A Book About Grief Hardcover by Joanna Rowland (Author) & Thea Baker (Illustrator), (Sparkhouse Family; Brdbk edition September 26, 2017)  Reading age 4 – 8 years, Grade level Preschool – 3
• I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas (Author), Leslie Harker (Illustrator), (B.E.S.; 1st edition January 1, 2001) Reading age 4 – 7 years, Grade level Preschool – 2
• The Invisible String by Patrice Karst  (Author), Geoff Stevenson (Illustrator), (Devorss & Co., September 1, 2000) Reading age 4 – 8 years, Grade level Preschool – 3
• The Healing Your Grieving Heart Journal for Teens (Healing Your Grieving Heart series) by Alan D Wolfelt PhD, (Companion Press, September 1, 2002) Age – adolescents
• Still Here with Me (Teenagers and Children on Losing a Parent) by Ed. Sjoqvist, Suzanne, (Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 1st edition, November 1, 2007) Age – adolescents

Books for Parents and Teachers of Grieving Children

• Caring for a Grieving Child: Engaging Activities for Dealing with Loss and Transition by Martha Wakenshaw MA, (New Harbinger Publications, Inc; December 10, 2002)
• Teen Grief: Caring for the Grieving Teenage Heart by Gary Roe, (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, October 5, 2017)
• Guiding Your Child Through Grief Paperback by James P. Emswiler & Mary Ann Emswiler, (Bantam; 1st edition, August 1, 2000)
• Finding the Words (How to Talk with Children and Teens About Death, Suicide, Homicide, Funerals, Cremation, and Other End-of-Life Matters, by Alan D. Wolfelt, (Companion Press; 1st edition, October 1, 2013)

Organizations

• Special note for for grieving families and victims of Mesothelioma!  Please check out their website that has important information  Mesothelioma.net at  https://mesothelioma.net/
• The Air Crash Support Network http://www.accesshelp.org/
• Compassionate Friends http://www.compassionatefriends.org/
• The Dougy Center for Grieving Children and Families http://www.dougy.org/
• Grief, Loss, and Bereavement Support Groups https://www.verywellhealth.com/grief-loss-bereavement-support-groups-1132533
• International Association of Fire Fighters http://www.iaff.org/
• Lifekeeper Memory Quilts https://afsp.org/lifekeeper-memory-quilts 
• The National Center for Jewish Healinghttps://www.jconnect.org/department/national-center-for-jewish-healing/ 
• Parents Of Murdered Children, Inc.  http://www.pomc.com/
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors –  Armed Forces http://www.taps.org/ 
• Hope for Widows  A national non-profit  https://hopeforwidows.org   
• 115 top sites for coping with grief and bereavement  http://www.mastersincounseling.org/loss-grief-bereavement.html

Books

After the Darkest Hour: How Suffering Begins the Journey to Wisdom by Kathleen A. Brehony Ph.D.

Psychotherapist Brehony has written a thoughtful, upbeat book that stresses that we will all suffer, that we can’t avoid it, and that to do so well will ultimately enrich our lives.  https://www.amazon.com/After-Darkest-Hour-Suffering-Journey/dp/0805064354/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=