The purpose of this book is to guide myself and other bereaved individuals into the reality of continuing bonds with our loved ones who have passed away. This bond is realized by discovering and implementing healthy and adaptive ways to bring about a lifelong process of emotional and spiritual healing, with the hope and anticipation of being reunited with loved ones again. I started writing this book before my Laurel died, so in addition to blending the clinical with the spiritual to promote a holistic model of grieving, I now realize that when death impacts one’s family, there is an immense chasm between theory and practice. Nothing can be said or done to bring my child back to me. I am broken beyond repair, and my sorrow is beyond anything that words can convey.
To those reading this who have lost a child like my friend Rena and my sisters, my heart is with you. I have supported individuals in grief for over thirty years. First, as a pastor who assisted bereaved individuals in the church as well as a chaplain in senior living communities followed by being a mentalhealth supervisor in a long-term structured residential setting (LTSR). Mostly however in my calling as a bereavement counselor and hospice chaplain. During my years of supporting grief-stricken individuals, I have not found many who have been able to experience a healthy grief journey, which is commonly known in the grief world as continuing bonds, with their loved ones who have died. More specifically, I refer to this continuing relationship as continuing presence.
