Mourning Men

Men grieve differently than women. We tend to withdraw while women reach out to others for help. Maybe they are on to something. A Swedish proverb teaches, "A joy shared is doubled; a sorrow shared is halved." It is true. Sharing our grief will lighten our burden. Grieving the death of a loved one continues long after the funeral service ends. But with the help of family and friends, the sharp edges of our sorrow will begin to soften, like broken beach glass eventually worn smooth by the action of endless waves. Our journey through grief is the shortest path to healing. This book was born from my own losses, the most heartbreaking being the death of my twenty seven year old son, Nathaniel, and his friend, Nick Lightfoot, in a boating accident on Little Traverse Bay in Lake Michigan on April 25, 2010. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon two young, vibrant men were suddenly gone. Life as I had known it ceased to exist. I was thrown into a world of chaos and grief unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was a traveler in a foreign land without familiar landmarks. Fortunately, family and friends reached out to me and kept me from sinking into oblivion. And they encouraged me to reach back to them. You can choose to do the same. You are not alone. My wish for you is that these short daily readings instill hope in your heart and help ease your suffering.