Begin Here “Helping Survivors Manage”
Posted by Mary on January 6, 2010
Healing is hard work, it may not seem so but it is. I’ve been home bound as I wait for my broken ankle to heal and for me the hard part is learning to be patient. You’ll understand my disappointment when I say I got a call from my doctor this week to tell me the new x-ray shows the bones are misaligned and she is recommending another surgery, gosh just when I was feeling like I was closing in on the finish line.
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It’s hard not to feel sorry for myself but when I think of how others manage more serious grief I know there are things worse than sitting at home with my leg up on a pillow. I recall the pain and grief earlier this year when we lost my sister unexpectedly and I struggled to find a way to organize the closing of her affairs through my pain of loss. That was when I met my friend Kat Reed who shared my experiences of loss and frustration at the lack of resources to help organize our loved one’s affairs.
We discussed how we created lists and spread sheets for all the action items that needed to be done and I was thrilled to find Kat went a lot farther than I did, she decided to write a book so others would have the benefit of her work. Kat and I talked about how her book would help provide a template for others and with the work I do supporting adult children and their aging parents there might be ways we can partner to speak to interested groups and organizations about loss and how to put one foot in front of the other at end of life.
I was absolutely delighted to see that that the Pioneer Press did an article about Kat and the release of her book which I is a gift to those that are facing a loss and don’t know where to start; it’s also a tremendous resource for those of us working with clients and families at end of life. Many of us ask and wonder how we can help our family and friends during a time of grief and I think Kat’s book gives us some real actionable items and a better understanding of the work involved during a difficult time.
I am pleased to recommend the book “Begin Here, Helping Survivors Manage” by my friend Kat Reed. I’m including the link to the article in Sunday’s paper and a link to Kat’s website if you are interested in purchasing her book.
http://www.twincities.com/ci_14103540?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com
www.HelpingSurvivorsManage.com
As I sit here with my leg up on pillows and contemplate starting over again with another surgery I say a prayer of thanks to my sisters and dear friends who have supported me with the gift of friendship during this tiny detour in my road to healing. They remind me that I am not alone, I am blessed and I have a brand new year to celebrate.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
Mary
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I’ve done a bit of research on information that would have been helpful a few weeks ago on “what to do when a loved one dies.” I remember asking our funeral home director if they had a checklist on to help us organize all the tasks to be done and I was surprised when he said “we don’t have anything like that.” I was more surprised that he wasn’t able to recommend a resource for us. My curiosity got the best of me and having the role of daughter, nurse, care coordinator, sister and end of life closer I decided to do some web browsing now that I’ve completed my sisters affairs. I found a few web resources with short checklists and forms that might be helpful to you, if interested look under “end of life checklists.”
