Walking Through The Valley With You - For the Bereaved

Introduction Grief is an immense pain. It makes those going through it wonder if they will survive the next day. I experienced that. When my wife passed away in 1997, I received a lot of cards, flowers, phone calls, food and other expressions of love that cushioned my pain.

However, these thinned out quickly after the funeral. The phone no longer rang, the mail stopped arriving and people generally avoided eye contact with me. They wanted to say something, but felt awkward in engaging me in a conversation. On my part, my emotions of grief were just beginning to erupt. I was very blessed that I had friends who were willing to give me their shoulders, their ears, and their hearts. They helped me go through the most painful journey of my life. If it were not for my friends I might not have made it.

This book is written to help you go through your grief. I have drawn from my own experience and from others who have gone through the grief of losing a loved one. We hope that our experiences will be helpful to you. You may feel that things will never get better, but they will. You may not feel that others care, but they do. They just don’t know how to express it. You may feel that you will never be able to handle all the tasks and added responsibilities, not to mention the new roles thrust upon you, but you will.

Entering the Valley helps you deal with the initial period of loss and hurt. It is for you to read shortly after the funeral. The First Year helps you through the first year, during which you may experience delayed impacts and aftershocks of grief. Moving On is to help you turn a new page and move on with your life. We recommend that you read it one year after the funeral, or whenever you feel like you are ready to move on. Our prayers and sincere sympathy go with these words as you read them. May God give you comfort and hope.