Comfort for the Grieving Spouse's Heart: Hope and Healing After Losing Your Partner

Book excerpt: This loss changes everything. The loss of a life partner can be traumatic. Oblivious to our suffering, the world around us speeds on as if nothing happened. Stunned, shocked, sad, confused, and angry, we blink in disbelief. Our hearts are broken. Our souls shake. We look for comfort. Our broken, grieving hearts need it to survive. Multiple award-winning author, hospice chaplain, and grief counselor Gary Roe is a trusted voice who has been helping wounded, grieving hearts find hope and healing for more than three decades. Written with heartfelt compassion, this warm, easy-to-read, and practical book reads like a caring conversation with a friend and will become a comforting companion as you navigate the turbulent waters of grief. Gary’s desire is to meet you in your grief and walk with you there. Composed of brief chapters, Comfort for the Grieving Spouse's Heart is designed to be read one chapter per day, giving you bite-sized bits of comfort, encouragement, and healing over a period of time. You do not have to read it this way, of course. We all grieve differently. Read in the way that is most natural for you. In Comfort for the Grieving Spouse's Heart, you will discover how to... * Process complicated grief emotions (sadness, anger, guilt, confusion, guilt, anxiety, depression, feeling overwhelmed, etc). * Navigate all the relational changes - feeling alone, misunderstood, isolated, and even rejected by those around you. * Handle the increased stress and uncertainty that this heavy loss can bring. * Deal with physical and mental health issues, illnesses, and new symptoms that often arise. * Take care of yourself through diet, hydration, fitness, and rest. * Deal with a myriad of practical issues (financial challenges, parenting, family activities) * Handle the intense, deep loneliness that often comes with this loss. You will also find hope in how to... * Think through the challenging spiritual and faith questions that frequently surface. * Relate well to the people around you - those who are helpful and those who aren't. * Overcome the tendency to run from emotional pain with unhealthy habits or compulsive behaviors. * Deal well with triggers and the grief bursts that will come. * Find the support you need for survival, recovery, and healing (safe people, fellow grievers, counseling, etc.). * Develop a simple, realistic plan for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. *Use your grief for good - for yourself, your family, and others. *Allow this loss to give you greater perspective and motivate you to live more effectively than ever before. *Make your life count, one day, one moment at a time. Please don’t grieve alone. Let Comfort for the Grieving Spouse's Heart join you on this arduous, tasking journey. Be kind to yourself. Take your heart seriously. Death has invaded, but it doesn't have to win. Read on. Comfort awaits you in these pages of this book.