Healing After Loss:: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief

By Martha Whitmore Hickman

Book Overview

*OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD*

The classic guide for dealing with grief and loss. Day-by-day reflections to find solace in our own lives, and comfort in the connection of sharing these meditations with countless others.

After the focus on planning and outpouring of love from family and friends in the immediate aftermath following the loss of a loved one, we are left without a map for coping with grief as we enter a new version of our lives where someone important is missing.

For days, months, years, the pain of the loss can crash in all at once. It is tempting to push that wave of grief back and soldier on with our new lives, but the loss will never lose its controlling power if we don't find the courage and love to face it. Meditating on the loss, along with the rush of love that comes with it, gives us a chance to rejoice in the life that was shared, and to look forward in which memories of our loved ones continue to bless us.

The short, poignant daily meditations given here follow the course of the year, but it is not a necessity to follow them chronologically. They will strengthen, inspire, and give comfort for as long as they are needed.

This classic guide doesn't offer easy answers, but a quiet, compassionate space to heal.

Bereavement Support: Gentle, day-by-day reflections that meet you where you are, offering a hand to hold through the days, months, and even years of sorrow.A Companion in Grief: Written with the deep empathy of an author who has experienced the profound loss of a child and knows the terrain of sorrow firsthand.Grief Recovery: Short, poignant passages designed for a time when concentration is difficult, allowing you to find a moment of peace without feeling overwhelmed.Finding Solace: A year-long structure that you can follow chronologically or dip into whenever you need it, finding the right message for the right day.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380773384
• ISBN13: 9780380773381
• Release Date: December 1994
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.0" x 5.9"

Customer Reviews

Healing after Loss has been so helpful.

I received “Healing after Loss” after my husband of 64 years died. The daily meditations were thoughtful and they brought comfort. I live in a senior residence and have bought many copies for residents whose partners have died.

Working Through Grief Daily

Is anyone ever ready to lose a love one -- no matter the age or devastation of illness? I know I was not. My husband was and still is a most important person in my life. I felt totally disconnected when he died and still struggle with it daily. If not for this wonderful book of daily meditations, there are days when getting out of bed would have been more than I could do. 6 months after Jack's death, I am now able to occasionally notice the lovely blue sky, hear the birds signing, and feel the sun on my face. My grief therapy is only effective in the slow healing of this grievous wound in my soul with the daily reminders in this compilation by Hickman and being encouraged to recall the wonderfulness of Jack, my husband, my best friend, my life love.

I'm not alone when I'm with Healing After Loss

My husband of only 19 yrs. died 10 days after a work-related accident. We had no children and the house is so unbelieveably empty. People don't know what to say so they say nothing and leave me grieving alone. Someone gave me her copy of Healing After Loss saying she needed it back when I was thru with it. I had it only a few days when I knew I had to have my own copy. Ms. Hickman is able to identify my feelings and console me thru her words. Her short, but to-the-point, reflections of pain and unbearable loss recognize and validate what I am experiencing and incorporate, without any pressure to 'get over it' quickly, a gentle support like an arm around my shoulders holding me together until I can support myself. Anyone searching for 'the right words' to say to a grief stricken friend or relative should not hesitate to get this small book of special wisdom for their use and that of the bereaved.

Exceptional!

When I lost my father suddenly a year and five months ago I lost my best friend. Shortly after my Dad's passing, I was walking through Boarders and Books looking for some solace. With my hands full of other "guides" that I never got into, I stumbled upon this book. I have read a passage daily for the last seventeen months and will continue to for some time to come. This book offers an uplifting look at loss. It has helped me to deal with the most difficult of days with grace and hope. Over the last year, I have literally ordered around 25 copies to give to friends who have also lost loved ones. It is poignant and positive. I had never heard of Martha Whitmore Hickman before, but she has truly touched my life.

This book is a Godsend since I lost my husband two years ago

I was dealing with the devastation and loss of my husband after a fight with the evil cancer. I did not want to live. My whole life changed and I would have done anything to have him back. But, I kept living and I couldn't get him back no matter what. This book has had a profound affect in helping me deal with and get through this painful phase called grieving. The writings of 365 different people and days describes so effectively the feelings and reality of what grief is. I still read it daily. So many of the comparisons hit home. I have bought it for two friends who have recently lost loved ones. I highly recommend it to any grieving person who needs to understand the emotional and painful process they are going through. You aren't alone.