The Empty Chair: Handling Grief on Holidays and Special Occasions

By Robert C. De Vries, Susan J. Zonnebelt-Smeenge, Robert De Vries

Book Overview

How to handle holidays and special occasions without your loved one.

Like a firestorm blazing through a forest, the grief of losing a loved one seems to leave nothing but ashes in its path. The hope and meaning in life appear to vanish. And at no time is that pain more acute than on holidays and other special occasions.

Yet even after a forest fire, eventually there is new growth. Out of the devastation of grief you can begin again.

In The Empty Chair, the authors, who have each experienced the death of a spouse, share both pastoral and mental health insights on how you can handle significant days. Offering a comforting blend of emotional support, spiritual guidance, and personal experience, this book is a reflective yet practical approach to finding peace and joy on your journey through grief.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801063779
• ISBN13: 9780801063770
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Baker Books
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 7.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Very Helpful After Losing A Loved One

I found this book very helpful after losing a loved one. I particularly liked the format of this book. The authors give excellent ideas and suggestions as well as inspiring meditations. I highly recommend "The Empty Chair" to anyone who has experienced a death of someone close to them.

Help for anyone who has had a loved one die.

What a great book! In tackling a sometimes difficult topic, the authors did a splendid job in addressing holidays and other occasions and how to handle them after losing a loved one. I have enjoyed this book so much that I've recommended it to several friends.

Help for the Holidays

This is a wonderful easy read that helped me through a difficult time. I thought that I had completed the grieving process for my father, but realized that during the Holidays I would get really down. After reading The Empty Chair, I realized that what I was going through was normal, and needed to deal with those emotions. Since reading this book, I have learned how to enjoy the Holidays and remember the good times with my father instead of resenting and grieving that he is not there to share those special times. If you know of anyone who just lost someone close to them this is an excellent gift.

Ritualizing Loss

This book is an excellent tool for ritualizing loss in any situation, especially during the holidays. It offers an effective format to simply state what you may be holding back while sitting around the holiday dinner table or gathering around the Christmas tree or at a family reunion. It is often hard to spontaneously say that we miss the person who is no longer there, whether it be from death or divorce, that there is an empty spot in our hearts. You may get choked up while going through the suggested format, but it can be extremely healing.