Good Grief

Good Grief by Granger E. WestbergThis 63-page book was recommended to me by my coach as an easy 30-minute valuable read and it certainly did not disappoint.  Written by a minister, there are many references to God but it still felt accessible to me even though I am not a religious person. The now famous Five Stages of Grief from the 1969 book by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, On Death and Dying includes: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  This book instead describes ten stages: shock, emotion, depression, physical feelings of distress, panic, guilt, anger/resentment, resist returning, and gradually hope comes through. I like these additional steps because they paint a more realistic picture of the immense range of feelings and experiences that can arise.  I am someone who is comfortable expressing emotion and talking about what I feel. Even so, I was caught by surprise at how angry, shocked, and physically distressed I could feel during the process of grief. This book offers comfort in encouraging you to express yourself, as that is the pathway to a new beginning.