Hi All,

From time-to-time, we try to gather up recommendations of books on grieving or related problems that helped us.  That list grows and changes over time, but thankfully, with new technologies, more books are available in more formats, so most can find something that resonates for them.

I am an avid reader, and it's not unusual for me to have 3 books going at a time.  One to teach me something, one to understand something (often a book group selection), and one simply to relax and entertain.  Cliff and I had a huge library, it was a big chore to liquidate that when I sold the house in Florida, and probably one of the hardest things I had to do - emotionally, not just physically.  Between his, mine, ours, and our sons' books, it filled 16 bookcases.  When we moved from California to Florida, we could only afford to move either the furniture or the books.  We got rid of the furniture, and the first couple months in Florida we sat on boxes of books!  LOL...

However, when Cliff died, for weeks I couldn't read for more than a few minutes at a time.  That's how shattered I was.  I tried a few grief books, but found them generally cold and clinical - usually written by some doctor who had not been bereaved.  There were two books that really helped me get through:

The first was an odd one I stumbled across at a charity fundraiser book sale.  It's called "Live, Learn, and Pass It On" collected and published by H. Jackson Brown.  This one had short passages from people aged 5 to 95 about what they had learned in life.  Some were funny, some poignant.  Some are just one sentence, which as shattered as I was, was often as much as I could handle.  But it helped me to think about life and my life a little differently.

The second book which was a huge help for me, and which I have recommended numerous times, was "Seven Choices - Finding Daylight After Loss Shatters Your World" by Elizabeth Harper Neeld.  It was like finding a guidebook for how to travel the grief path.  Neeld is a professional writer, and she is a widow.  I had several "a-ha!" moments reading the book, and I credit that book for a big chunk of my surviving and thriving.  I recommend it highly.

The booksellers like Amazon have these, but it's always a good idea to check your local public library to see what they have on the shelves as then you can read them for free.  Your librarian can also help you find books.  If you do need to purchase a book, you can often get a 'like new' used copy cheaply.

People have often asked me what I did to get through it, and reading books like these was one piece of my personal grief puzzle, so I wanted to share this with you all.

Can you add any books to this list?

Love and Hugs,

Martha, co-Community Leader