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    The Wilderness of Grief: Finding Your Way
    The Wilderness of Grief: Finding Your Way
    The Wilderness of Grief: Finding Your Way
    Ebook99 pages58 minutes

    The Wilderness of Grief: Finding Your Way

    By Alan D. Wolfelt

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    About this ebook

    Based on the author's previous guides to a 10-touchstone method of grief therapy, this book takes an inspirational approach to the material, presenting the idea of wilderness as a sustained metaphor for griefand likening the death of a loved one to the experience of being wrenched from normal life and dropped down in the middle of nowhere. Feeling lost and afraid in this uncharted territory, people are initially overwhelmed, the book explains, but they begin to make their way through the new landscape by searching for trail markersor touchstonesuntil they emerge as intrepid travelers climbing up out of despair. The touchstones for each step are described in short chapters such as "Embrace the Uniqueness of Your Loss," "Recognize You Are Not Crazy," and "Appreciate Your Transformation."
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCompanion Press
    Release dateMay 28, 2007
    ISBN9781617220159
    The Wilderness of Grief: Finding Your Way

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      Book preview

      The Wilderness of Grief - Alan D. Wolfelt

      Author

      Preface

      As an author, educator and grief counselor I’ve had the privilege to meet and walk with thousands of mourners. They have been so very kind to have shared their grief journeys and intimate lives with me. Without them this book could not be, nor would I be who I am.

      We all experience grief in our own way and on our own schedule. Our life griefs are as unique as our fingerprints. There are really no experts in an area populated by so much diversity. So, I do not offer you this book as an expert, but as a fellow human being who has walked the walk.

      Most of what I have come to understand about the mystery of grief and our need to authentically mourn the deaths of those who go before us is anchored in my personal losses and the losses of those of you who have taught me about your very personal journeys. For your willingness to teach me and trust me with your stories, I thank you.

      I am humbled that you have been willing to allow me to open my heart to you. For you see, I am not an expert on grief; I’m a companion who tries to give attention to stories of love and loss. You have taught me that grief challenges our sense of identity and the very purpose of our living.

      Without some touchstones along the path, we can easily find ourselves lost in the wilderness of our grief. Our sense of connection to the world around us can seem to disappear. So, I offer you this little book to give you some hope for healing.

      If, after reading this book, you’re interested in learning more about the ten touchstones and perhaps jotting down your thoughts in a companion grief journal, please visit my website (www.centerforloss.com) and take a look at Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart and The Understanding Your Grief Journal: Exploring the Ten Essential Touchstones. Both will take you further in your exploration of the ten touchstones.

      Yes, to experience and befriend the pain of loss is just as much a part of life as to experience the joy of love. That is probably why I have never met anyone mourning the death of someone precious who doesn’t want to continue loving that person in some way, shape, or form.

      As it should be, thoughts, feelings and behaviors that result from a death are impossible to ignore. Our experiences of grief are very powerful and demand our attention as we explore our special needs. As we encounter loss in our lives, we have the opportunity to make a willful choice about how we are going to use the pain of grief—whether we are going to channel it to make our lives better or worse.

      May the touchstones explored in this book inform your heart and comfort your spirit. May your grief be slowly and patiently transformed and your natural compassion benefit your fellow human beings and the entire world. May you find this little book to be a good companion in your journey. That is my prayer for you.

      Introduction

      You are grieving the death of someone you love.

      Think of your grief as a wilderness—a vast, mountainous, inhospitable forest. You are in the wilderness now. You are in the midst of unfamiliar and often brutal surroundings. You are cold and tired. Yet you must journey through this wilderness. To find your way out, you must become acquainted with its terrain and learn to follow the sometimes hard-to-find trail that leads to healing.

      In the wilderness of your grief, the ten touchstones explored in this book are your trail markers. They are the signs that let you know you are on the right path.

      When you learn to identify and rely on the touchstones, you will not get lost in your journey, even though the trail will often be arduous and you may at times feel hopeless.

      At the beginning of each touchstone you will find photos I took on

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