Meditations for Survivors of Suicide

Joni Woelfel wrote Meditations for Survivors of Suicide from her own personal experience of having lost a beloved son to suicide. She has drawn beautifully from the long journey she trod from her early shock and grief, to the place she has arrived at today - a place of knowledge and empowerment - which she is now using to help others deal with their own losses. This book is the perfect tool for anyone needing support to map out their own path through the many phases of grief.

Meditations For Survivors of Suicide, is much more than a companion manual to a grief journey and it is not a compilation of grief cliches. This book takes the reader on a thoughtful spiritual journey that flows from the heart of a mother that refuses to be crushed by her son's suicide.It is much more that her lamentations about her son's premature death due to depression at age 18. It is a story of hope, faith, recovery and a touch of the mystical, as Woefel relates some of her dream thought in pointing out how she is " still connected to her son by eternal bonds of spirit and love"Reflecting her unquenchable sprit, Woelfel says,"it has come as a shock to me that it is possible to feel fully alive and in love with life after knowing such tragedy...." "Even though we carry this sorrow we awaken each day knowing there is a choice that can be made between despair and faith"Yet survivors of suicide will find practical value in the chapter on "The Ten Gifts of Grief" as well as advice on how to celebrate birthdays. Of inestimable value is the resource at the end of the book on the FAQ's of suicide which is a guide to the recognition and prevention of this life-robbing, but often hidden, disease.Meditations is a must read for anyone whose life has been touched by suicide, but it is also a good read for contemplative persons who have more than fleeting thoughts about life, love, living, and dying and are seeking unique insights of an author who has much to share.

This collection of essays is beautifully-written and a true godsend to anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one through suicide. Spiritually driven but factually supported, the book combines the author's heartbreaking narrative of the suicide of her youngest son, Mic, with her painstaking journey to rebuild her own life, her outlook, and her faith. This small but powerful volume offers candid insights and gentle advice to those who must face this unthinkable tragedy and move forward.