Supporting the Bereaved in Unprecedented Times

Book excerpt: “My Dear Friend, I have sad news. Someone I cherish has just died during the pandemic. I’m going through a challenging time right now, and I could use your support.” So begins this powerful, poignant and inspiring guide to loss and healing in these unprecedented times. It offers compassionate tools we can use immediately— not just for ourselves—but to support friends, family or loved ones coping with loss during the pandemic and its aftermath. By sharing insights and wisdom from the perspective of the bereaved, this provocative book answers questions like, “How should I act?” “What should I say?” and “How can I support myself and others in their healing?” A quick and easy read, written in clear, compassionate language, this small volume fills a large void, especially at this extraordinary moment in our history. If you’d like to support someone suffering loss, or if you yourself are grieving, this guide can help you in this moment when we need each other more than ever. You can read this book in less than an hour, yet the abilities and skills you’ll discover here can help you deepen your relationships for a lifetime. ***** “This is a practical handbook for the bereaved and their friends; how to live with grief, to express it or not, how to find your natural way through. The quotations from Neruda, Machado, Dickinson and others are beautifully chosen.” —Coleman Barks, The Essential Rumi