I was even with him when he took his last breath. I truly thought I would be able to quietly
grieve and successfully carry on. But that didn't happen. Seeing my dad in the casket for
the first time, I reverted back to a child insisting that I wanted my daddy back! Rather than
dealing with his death, I slowly removed myself from life. I spent months in depression,
unable to move forward; losing my encourager, role model, and hero was devastating.
However, my dad's death was not only traumatic, but it also triggered unresolved grief from
other issues. I did not know how to do deal with all of the compounded hurt I was feeling. I
did not know where to even start. I desperately needed direction, or some type of instruction
book to get me going. I read whatever books I could find on grief and the grieving process,
but the information was too technical and way more than my grieving mind could grasp. My
four children were also deeply hurt by the death of their beloved "Paw-Paw," and I searched
for books and information to help them in their grief. I was able to find numerous illustrated