Losing a loved one--whether a spouse, parent, child, sibling, or friend--leaves people feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. Holidays and other special occasions seem to intensify the pain. Whether the occasion is Christmas or Easter, a birthday or anniversary, these celebrations force the bereaved to again face the reality of a loved one's absence.

Susan Zonnebelt-Smeenge and Robert C. De Vries know firsthand the sorrow of bereavement: Both lost a spouse. Yet as they faced their pain and gleaned insights from their professions--Susan is a psychologist, Robert, a minister--they found renewed...

When a loved one dies it can seem like life will never be normal again. The world can become a blur of flowers, relatives, cards, and well-meaning visitors; and the griever may feel that he or she cannot come up for air. But there is normalcy after death, say authors Zonnebelt-Smeenge and De Vries; it just takes some time--and help--to get there.

Traveling through Grief takes readers on the journey toward life after death, focusing on five common tasks of grief: accepting the reality of death, embracing all the emotions associated with death, storing memories, separating oneself...