Grief is a universal. We all must travel the path one day and sometimes it can hit so hard we can barely breathe. I know this from personal experience and I also know that there are some good resources available today. Here are 10 of them.. 
There is no better workbook for processing grief than A Guided Journal through Grief, found here. It’s not only my opinion but the feedback I get from those who use it. Every page holds a prompt or simple activity to help work through the thoughts and feelings that accompany loss. Because sometimes we can’t talk about it. Or think loved ones are tired of hearing it.
But sometimes, you do want to read how others have managed their way through this universal process. Or get some expert advice.
Here’s a reading list of books that can be helpful. I suggest you read a bit about the book and what other readers have to say before you buy them.
This classic by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross is still so relevant and her work on grief is still the most significant:
The wisdom of Ram Dass is always comforting. Few know he worked with the dying for many years. His new book with Mirabai Bush is so helpful to those who grieve and also those contemplating their own mortality.
About a son’s suicide. The Silence of Mornings. By Daisy Hickman
Joan Didion’s book about her loss is gut-wrenching and not for the faint of heart. I think she’s one of the best writers of our era and she brings that talent to bear on her grief.
It’s Okay That You’re Not Okay validates our grief. Because sometimes people want us to get over it sooner than we can.
Another classic: C. S. Lewis’ A Grief Observed
Final Gifts is about patients at the end of life. I think it’s beautiful, compassionate and practical.
The End is just the Beginning by Arlene Churn is geared toward the grief of African Americans, and historical rituals and customs that can help.
The death of a parent is a rite of passage, almost. Who are we if we are not someone’s child? These essays and stories can help. The Late Orphan Project by Anne Born
And finally, for a daily comforting meditation on grief, I offer a deck of 50 compact Transforming and Releasing Grief Cards, to help focus your thoughts in supportive ways. Find them in beautiful hard copy here. They are also available as an online subscription delivered daily to your email address. See those here.
Also you can find my gentle condolence gift packages here.
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I think people will find this list really useful. Grief is such a tricky thing to deal with. Often you think you have it under control and then bam it hits you like a tonne of bricks.
These are all great suggestions. Loved Joan Didion’s book, so sad about the death of her husband. Thank you for these.
Thanks. I teach a university class on Death, Dying, and Bereavement. Some of these titles are new to me. They look helpful.