Book of Loss and Hope May Be Appropriate Gift This Season
Friday, November 30th, 2007
If you know someone who may be going through a trying time this holiday season, consider getting them a gift that could give them hope, lift their spirits or encourage their souls. Billy Graham’s book, “Hope for the Troubled Heart†inspires those of faith through the telling of real life stories of people who have gone through the same things you or a friend may be going through – death, loss, anger, fear.

Amy Silverstein lives everyday to its fullest since receiving a heart transplant 19 years ago. She’s become a lawyer, gotten married, adopted a son and has lived longer than doctors ever thought possible. Her life is an amazing story of triumph, but it is not without pain.
I met a family therapist at a dinner party I was attending a month or so ago. In the course of my questioning him about his practice, his patients and his general therapy practices, he informed me that whenever he is working with a family that has experienced the loss of a family member or loved one, he always recommends that they read How to Survive the Loss of A Love. He said that the book is not a daunting text book about getting over loss but more like a survival guide for getting through those early months of coping and healing. Within the pages are encouraging words in brief sentences as well as poems related to the messages. He said that most patients don’t want to dwell on the subject during those days. The brief reminders of what they can do to help deal with the pain are just what they need and really, about all they can handle.