Grieving from A to Z

By Rica Grubbs

In this book, author Rica Grubbs offers hope to others facing their own difficult journey of loss and grief. Grubbs explores grief from a personal perspective and provides tools for moving beyond the suffering. The second half of the book includes a workbook that gives readers the opportunity to reflect by exploring their negative emotions and replacing them with a positive outlook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rica Grubbs
• Release date: Aug 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463538319

Book preview

Dedication

To my mom, Meda, and Aunt Jill.

To my brothers: Orlando Powe, Daryl, and Nate,

my sisters: Kim and Tia, and cousins: Leon, Nikki, Laurence, Leverette, Lydelle, Love, Adrienne, Sheleigha, Willa, Andy, Megan, Tony, and Delrico.

To my Powe and Wells family.

To all who have lost love ones.

May the happy memories of our loved ones heal our hearts and bring us joy.

Grief: keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret

Grieving: to feel grief or great sorrow; to distress mentally; cause to feel grief or sorrow.

I am not a certified counselor, and this book isn’t designed to minimize or cure your pain. It is meant to give you some basic tools to start the healing process. The hurt or pain of missing a loved one may never go away – but the debilitating sting can dissipate if you allow yourself to move from the hurtful or painful place of loss to a place of comfort and solace.

Chapter 1

Grief

"I thank my God in all remembrance of you…"

Philippians 1:3

There were times when I would cry for what seemed like no reason at all. Just random tears – no warning. But then I noticed I was thinking of someone very special to me who has gone on, a former job, my failed marriages, or maybe a relationship that wasn’t the same anymore.

My eyes would fill, and wherever I was at the time would determine whether I would let it flow or would have to fight the tears back from falling. I felt a sense of sadness that I’d never known before. I struggled to laugh genuinely. I struggled to enjoy life. I soon realized… I was grieving.

I was struggling with the pain of loss that I couldn’t get past until I confronted it. It was when I acknowledged and addressed my emotions that I could create a new normal to replace what I once knew. I literally had to have a crucial conversation with my feelings to regain control of my sanity.

Grieving is a normal part of the hurting process and is necessary to the healing process after suffering a loss. No one ever wants to lose someone or something that is special to them. The pain of loss is inevitable, so it is important to recognize grief when it comes. The loss may be forever, but the suffering doesn’t have to be.

I say this as gently as possible and with plenty of love: you are not the only one going through, even though it may feel that way. There are billions upon trillions of people who have suffered some type of loss at some point of their lives.

I’m not saying this to minimize what you are experiencing, nor am I telling you to just get over it. I’m trying to drive home the point that there are so many people who can relate to what you are feeling. I want to encourage you by saying that you are not alone.

While people will never know how you’re feeling, they may know what you’re feeling because they’ve suffered loss too. They’ve traveled the winding road of grief. They’ve climbed the mountain of despair. They turned the corner of discomfort. They’ve been halted by the red light of adversity. They’ve even camped out in the tunnel of pain.

They’ve been in this place of grief before. Because of this shared experience of losing someone or something special, they can empathize with what you are going through, even though they may not know how deep