When someone dies, others are left to cope with that loss, and each mourner's grief is different. The tasks of grieving have now been studied thoroughly, and the professional literature is summarized here and presented in five readable lessons. Mourners, as well as those who help them, can use what they learn here about loss to facilitate telling the story of what happened, exploring things that may help, and building a new life. Checklists, activities, quotes from famous authors, and dialogues between a mourner and counselor make this book easy to use as well as easy to read. Grief often involves a lonely walk down a long path to an unknown destination, and those who mourn welcome companions who understand loss.
