It's Okay to Yell at God...

After the death of a loved one... ...how do you laugh again? ...how do you love again? ...how do you live life again? ...how do you navigate the journey of grief? ...how do you reclaim the dreams you once had? Before the death of a loved one... ...how do you prepare? ...how do you help others going through grief? You start by picking up this book. Why? Am I an expert in all things grief and grieving? Hardly - far from it. Sure, I'm a Bachelor's Degree prepared nurse practicing in pediatric oncology - caring for cancer kids - who has had the privilege of helping more than one family through the grieving process. But more than that, I am a father who held his young son as he took his last breath. Little did I know that that last breath would usher in my first step on my personal journey of grief, a journey that continues today. Perhaps you are undertaking that journey right now, even as you read these sentences. Perhaps you know someone who is on this journey. Or maybe you have not yet experienced grief, and are reading this text simply because you are curious why some guy would actually encourage you to yell at God. No matter where you stand in relation to grief, I invite you to stop standing and start walking - take that first step with me. In this book you will be given a front-row seat, a raw and intimate look into the thoughts, feelings, pains and joys of a father and mother as they live out a ten-day span that begins with an innocent late summer walk and ends with a son's dying breath. You will see in action what one of our son's doctors described as "faith, hope and love" that "affected doctors, nurses and secretaries in a profound way." It is a story of hope and encouragement in the midst of darkness and despair. Interspersed throughout this story will be various lessons that I have learned along my now decade-long journey. These lessons will discuss powerful topics including dreams, forgiveness, miracles, and questioning God. I even give you permission to laugh at me along the way, as you might find humorous stories from my childhood illustrating these lessons (you'll be in awe of the time I came up with the world's most ingenious plan to find out if a fifth-grade crush liked me back). Be ready to cry. Be ready to laugh. This book is not a 10- or 20-step grief recovery plan. I will not tell you how to "get over" your loved one or how to "get past" the grief. Instead I am passionate about showing you how to embrace your grief, and more importantly how to embrace life again after someone you loved dearly no longer shares that life with you. So will you come with me? Don't worry - I brought the Kleenex.