Tips for Coping with Grief

QUESTION:

Caregivers often feel losses more intensely than others, considering how hard we work to preserve life. Got a tip to help others through grieving?

Why This Matters:

Queen Elizabeth II made the case in eight words: “Grief is the price we pay for love.” As I explain in my book, caregivers know that our lives will include loss and grief. Loss must be faced, focused and named so that we can grieve. After a major loss, only the grieving path can soften our dried heart, nurture us with humility and, in time, cradle gratitude in our souls.

In asking you to share your own insights into grieving, I also want to recommend a companion book by my colleague, the Rev. Dr. Rodger Murchison: Guide for Grief. Rodger has studied the grieving process for many years. While I devote a chapter to this important part of the caregiving journey, Rodger gives us a book-length toolbox on many forms of grief. Here are some of the first words of wisdom that Rodger shares with readers …

“How do I go on?” So many people have uttered these words after the death of a loved one. There is no easy answer, yet we must talk about this question and find a way forward. If we do not deal with grief, then grief will deal with us. The effect of unresolved grief can be devastating for the loved one who is left alive.

The Rev. Dr. Rodger Murchison in Guide for Grief

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