Book of the Week

The Phoenix Phenomenon: Rising from the Ashes of Grief by Joanne T. Jozefowski

I've decided to post books I've read that other widows might find helpful...or some just for fun.

This was highly recommended. The writing wasn't very personable; it sounded almost academic. On the other hand, the "fables" included about grievers were a bit cutesy.
That said, there was some good material dealing with what the author calls the stages of grief. They aren't the same as Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's stages but focus more on moving through grief to transformation. She focuses on those she calls Phoenix Grievers, who create a new life from the ashes of grief. I was especially interested in this because not long before he died, Ralph said to me, "You'll be all right. You'll do something good."

Her final chapter lists the "gifts" of grief, which I suppose many of us haven't thought about. She also includes a chapter on the grief our nation felt on 9/11.

Here's a quote she uses from Dean Koontz: "We need only choose by the way we live to celebrate those who loved us and who were loved."

Check out Amazon for some used copies for as little as 25 cents.