We all experience the death of someone close to us at different times in our lives and have to find our way through the pain of grief. We question whether we will ever cope with the burden of our loss. Feelings of overwhelming sadness and tiredness along with feelings of anger, distress and bitterness arise as we travel through our passage of mourning. In today's society there is little time set aside for grieving.

This book is not intended to be a definitive guide, as we are all unique, but it can be a helpful support through your journey of adjustment to your loss. It is designed to be a handy companion at times of turmoil helping you to understand the normal processes of grief. The book is based on my knowledge and experience as a psychologist, a Cruse Bereavement Counsellor and a widow.

There are 365 short daily passages with a footnote at the bottom of each page providing a thought to focus on. it aims to provide a daily reflection on the thoughts and feelings which you may experience in the first year following a bereavement. Use it as a helping hand, a sympathetic voice, to be read each day or when you feel in need of some support. The aim is to help you to process and understand what you might be experiencing as you adjust to the changes that bereavement has made in your life.

Through this journey of grieving there are references to feelings of fear about how to live your life in a changed emotional landscape. The bereaved person has to adapt and change on a core level in their life. It is natural that you experience many emotions, whether the death experienced is that of a father, mother, brother, sister, child, close friend, partner, husband, wife, or grandparent. There may be feelings of grief associated with the death of a marriage or partnership.

We all experience bereavement at different times in our life and we have to find our way through a maze of grief. There are times when we wonder how we can carry on with this burden, but we do. Feelings can be further complicated if the person who has died has caused hurt to us in some way. Feelings of anger can be overwhelming, and memories which arise can give cause for distress. It is helpful to your healing if you can work through your feelings and your memories at a pace you can cope with. Grieving is a journey that at some point we all find ourselves on.