Resource: "Healing A Grandparent's Grieving Heart - 100 Practical Ideas After Your Grandchild Dies"

This quick read by Alan D. Wolfelt would have been a fantastic resource in the early months of my grief journey.  If you know a recently bereaved grandparent - or if you are mourning the loss of your own grandchild -  "Healing A Grandparent's Grieving Heart - 100 Practical Ideas After Your Grandchild Dies" would make a thoughtful and useful gift.  Nothing says you can't get a copy for yourself!

Once you read through the introduction, the 100 short chapters are more akin to lists than to typical chapters of a book.  The title of each chapter is one of the 100 practical ideas.  A quote related to the topic and four or five bulleted paragraphs follow.  Chapters end with a 'Carpe Diem', an activity to complete that day ... or, if you're like me, within a day or two.  After all, our grief journey isn't going away - it will still be there tomorrow.

The thought of reading this book one chapter at a time and then 'seizing the day' is tremendously appealing.  I also believe that rather than reading straight through the book, examining each idea individually would be more beneficial in moving toward acceptance and healing.  I will enthusiastically be rereading many of Wolfelt's ideas and taking action on some ... one at a time.

Ideas offered in the book address the basic principles of grief and mourning and offer suggestions for things grandparents can do to embrace their grief, to honor and to remember their grandchild.  Topics include: giving yourself permission to mourn, letting go of destructive myths about grief, keeping a journal, starting new traditions, befriending other bereaved grandparents, telling the story of your loss, laughing, crying and leaving a legacy.  Many of the ideas can also be applied to other losses you may have experienced as well.

At this point, I am 43 months along the grief path.  Some of the ideas presented I have already done or I have gotten beyond.  And, of course, there were a few that don't apply to my personal situation.  I was so excited to order this book, to come across some fresh ideas and to try some of the activities listed at the end of each chapter.  I have to admit that when I started reading, I was a bit disappointed because it took me too long to find this little gem. 

"Healing A Grandparent's Grieving Heart - 100 Practical Ideas After Your Grandchild Dies" is one book in The 100 Ideas Series and has a 4.2 out of 5 star rating on Amazon.

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