Words cannot adequately capture the experience of the death of a loved one. This may be why so many experiencing grief have told me they long to connect with others who have also lost a loved one, with the hope that they can feel less alone and afraid. While of course there are no shortcuts when it comes to grieving, these resources about grief and loss, the related emotional responses and strategies for coping, may provide some comfort and understanding of the process.
Websites:
American Psychological Association : Information on grief
The Center for Complicated Grief : Resources for complicated grief, when over time grief does not loosen its grip
Local Organizations:
The Center for Loss and Bereavement in Skippak, PA (also includes counseling and groups offered and other resources)
Uplift Center for Grieving Children in Philadelphia, PA
Books on Loss:
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss by Hope Edelman
Empty Cradle, Broken Heart: Surviving the Death of Your Baby by Deborah Davis
When Your Baby Dies: Through Miscarriage or Stillbirth by Louis Gamino
Books for Coping with Loss from Suicide from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers, a book for children about death/loss