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“Someday, I’m going to write a book to help other widows.” I’ve said that a lot over the last decade. Today, I’m happy to announce that the book, Good Grief! is finally here!
Yes, it does have a unique twist. While it combines practical advice from the lessons I’ve learned as a widow and spiritual encouragement from my own healing journey, the book is also filled with original illustrations (think New Yorker-style cartoons) to accompany each chapter. I want to give widows hope. I want to give widows help. And I also want to give them the healing gift of humor.
Losing one’s spouse is anything but funny. However, the new and often overwhelming challenges a widow faces do have their humorous aspects if you look hard enough.
Thankfully, God blessed me with a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at myself. Often, as I was fighting off tears because of another moment of confusion, I would picture a cartoon of the situation in my head. That always served to reduce the tension and helped me take a deep breath and not overreact.
I realized that my perspective and ability to find the humor was a gift, one that I wanted to share with others who were suffering on this lonely road. It is the reason I chose to self-publish. I had such a clear picture of what I wanted in terms of illustrations and I didn’t want to risk a publisher telling me that they were unnecessary or, even worse, of picking a mediocre artist.
I’m so grateful to have found Alejo Porras to be my illustrator. He read the manuscript and “got me.” He took my suggestions and then provided me with three unique options to illustrate each chapter. The creative process with Alejo was delightful, especially through the emotional drought that was 2020.
Bringing this idea to completion was also a gift to me. The process of remembering and then putting these life lessons into words and pictures did churn up some painful memories. But it was also very healing. The challenge of writing this book yielded a very good result: the hope of comforting others with the comfort that I have received.
Only God knows what the impact of this book will be. I would be most grateful if you would get a copy of two and share the book with anyone who might benefit. (Potential recipients: women who are widows or have a spouse with a terminal illness, pastoral care staff in churches, Christian counselors, financial advisors and estate planning attorneys.)
Ultimately, this book is for God’s glory. My prayer is that He will use this work to encourage many who are suffering.
This illustration above is from the last chapter, entitled “My Prayers for You.” This also describes how I feel as I release this book into the world and whisper “yes, Lord. I’m ready!”
Now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle version!