Let my name be ever the household world that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect, without the ghost of shadow upon it. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference in your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Journal. One of my favorite coping strategies is to write about what I’m feeling as I go through loss and grief. It helps me keep memories alive and to remember the good times, and the not so good, so I can process how I feel about each. If writing isn’t your thing, you might record your voice talking about that which you lost or make a video. Share any of those with others who may also be grieving—or don’t. It’s up to you. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. I was simply blown away by the whole retreat and gained so much from attending, it really was special and I think the most healing space and time I’ve ever experienced before… the balance was perfect, I learnt a lot about trust and the value of just creating space! I know I was very ready for it, but that does not take away in any way shape or form, the power of what you both created” (Autumn Grief retreat 2021 attendee)

To begin with, it’s safe to say that people do still experience the feelings associated with grief if they lose something other than the death of a loved one. In support of this, Kenneth Doka, a member of the American Counselling Association suggests “grief is a reaction to the loss of anyone or anything an individual is attached too deeply”. This book will be the friend to hold your hand while you navigate your own pathway of grief. I’m so glad it’s here’ Elle Wright Pippa has opened her heart to write about one of the most painful things a mother can ever experience. This book will be the friend to hold your hand while you navigate your own pathway of grief. I'm so glad it's hereI share this part of my story to illustrate how each of our individual lives are being led by our own “normal.” Some of us are caregivers carrying the burden of knowing these are the last moments to spend with our partners, and others are blissfully unaware of a traumatic, unknown incident about to occur. In the moments leading up to our partners’ transition, our identity is intact. We maneuver day-to-day lives without questioning ourselves. Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom. – Rumi

All I have I would have given gladly not to be standing here today. – Lyndon Baines Johnson, in his first speech to Congress after the death of JFK Bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love. It follows marriage as normally as marriage follows courtship or as autumn follows summer. – C.S. Lewis I found many healing paths. One in The Wellness Universe a community of wellness seekers and wellness providers. The other is in the Modern Widows Club. For the first time, I felt understood and accepted. My honesty was wanted! I told my story, and they listened with interest. I cried, and they held my hand. I asked for help, and they provided me with resources unique to widows. These women were not pitiful and weeping in the corner. They didn’t want the world to feel sorry for them. We wanted Hope, Healing, and Growth to lead our own Empowered lives. Baby loss is a subject as deep as the ocean, but often summarised or diminished with one word: miscarriage. Pippa Vosper opens this grief up, to examine it from every angle, with the help of dozens of contributors. A compassionate, nuanced book that does this very complicated grief justice. Best practices include: Say something, say the decedent’s name, offer condolences, share a favorite memory, tell the person you care for them, you love them, and you are there for them in whatever they might need.Oh dearest friend, I just want you to know I’m thinking of you and praying for you. I always loved the way Jim would talk to my kids, treat them as adults, yet still make them laugh. He was such a gem, and will be greatly missed. I’m sure everyone is offering all sorts of help, so feel free to say no, but can I come over sometime and either just sit with you and have coffee, or watch the kids while you take a nap or go for a walk or something?” All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before. How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again! This is my life. A single mom who can’t manage the grief of her children. The sole breadwinner who can’t focus on work, a lone woman who has no one to talk to on her commute home from work, and a really bad cook. I am just a lonely old widow, I thought to myself. This repetitive thought spun around in my brain. I am an exhausted old widow with four kids and no friends who will eat cold pizza and canned green beans forever.

Grief is universal, because love is universal. Where there is great love, there is great sorrow at the loss of that love. Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in the hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go. – Jamie Anderson We were enjoying a Sunday afternoon. At that moment, I was a wife, a mother, a saleswoman, and a partner with my best friend in the whole world. After lunch, we went our separate ways. Little did I know that our goodbye kiss would be the last. Whatever your past, current or future loss may look or feel like, remember that every loss is worthy of time and compassionYour life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words, and missed beyond measure.