ABCs of Healthy Grieving: A Companion for Everyday Coping - Paperback

by Harold Ivan Smith (Author)

For more than twenty-five years, ABCs of Healthy Grieving by best-selling author, counselor, and grief educator Harold Ivan Smith has been a trusted companion for tens of thousands of people searching for light in the darkness of loss.

This simple and comforting guide offers short, easy-to-read reflections--each just one or two pages long--filled with real-life stories, thoughtful quotes, and practical wisdom on living with grief. Every reflection ends with an encouraging "I can . . . " statement, a small but powerful reminder that healing is possible and that, in time, we who grieve will be okay.

Smith's timeless insights

• Allow for individual differences in grieving within families.

• Befriend the silence.

• Create a cherishable memory.

• Discourage hasty decisions.

• Explore new end-of-day and bedtime rituals.

• Forgive.

• Go late, leave early.

• Jettison the "five stages" of grief.

• Name the name.

• Overlook the easy answers.

• Ritualize.

• Trust your loved one to God's keeping.

• Write thank-you notes on your schedule.

This updated edition of the beloved classic acknowledges how grief continues to evolve in a changing world--shaped by technology, shifting family dynamics, pop culture, and new funeral practices. It includes a new introduction and closing thoughts by the author, updated cultural references and quotes, and a refreshed bibliography.

Back Jacket

For more than twenty-five years, ABCs of Healthy Grieving has been a trusted companion for tens of thousands of people searching for light in the darkness of loss.

This simple and comforting guide offers short, easy-to-read reflections filled with real-life stories, thoughtful quotes, and practical wisdom on living with grief. Every reflection starts with a letter of the alphabet and ends with an encouraging "I can . . ." statement, a small but powerful reminder that healing is possible and that, in time, we who grieve will be okay. This updated edition recognizes how grief continues to evolve in a changing world--shaped by technology, shifting family dynamics, pop culture, and new funeral practices.

Author Biography

Harold Ivan Smith is an experienced counselor, grief educator, and author of many books on grief, including ABCs of Healthy Grieving. He is a celebrant for Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California, and teaches at the Learning in Retirement program in Palm Desert.

Smith received his doctorate in spiritual formation from Asbury Theological Seminary and an education specialist degree from Vanderbilt University.

He is a specialist in the griefs of US presidents and first ladies and often writes and lectures on that topic. He conducts continuing education programs for funeral homes and hospices, and he is an active member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

Smith resides in Palm Springs, California.