Ellen Gerst

Ellen's Blog

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Lost and Found: Finding Your Way Back

Ellen Gerst is the author of several books on grief, including A Practical Guide to Widow/erhood, born out of Ellen's own experiences as a young widow. A Practical Guide to Widow/erhood provides suggestions to help a griever re-adjust each aspect of his/her life without his/her loved one and addresses topics ranging from finances to coping with holidays to new relationships.

Her children’s grief books include: Let's Get A Grip on Grief, a picture book for children ages 5-8, and Let's Get A Grasp on Grief, intended for a slightly older child (ages 9-12). Instead of trying to explain death, both books relate what will happen now that the event has taken place. The books let a child know it is “normal” to be confused after the death of a loved one, and they give suggestions on how to work out feelings while moving toward a healthy resolution of grief.

Currently, Ellen is collaborating with Melinda Vail on a book that approaches suicide from a unique vantage point. Learn more about Ellen and her books at www.lngerst.com.

Ellen Gerst's Blog

Suicide Survivorship: How To Resolve Your Guilt

No one can know the depth of despair to which a person may sink upon contemplation of suicide. Possibly, the black hole in which one finds him/herself gets deeper and darker as the days go by. Soon, even the smallest sliver of light is blocked from view. And then, instead of being frightening, the darkness becomes comforting and safe. It cradles and protects the person from all outside forces – from life and all the decisions to be made, both large and small. Eternal sleep and “supposed” freedom… Continue

Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 9:56am — No Comments (Add)

Looking For Answers

I found a good way to work through grief (and other issues) is reading the wisdom of others. Personally, I read a great variety of books, articles, etc and take bits and pieces of each – the ones I feel would be a good fit into my life and belief system. This helps me to formulate a plan on how to move forward and makes me think about the types of new thoughts I want to incorporate in my daily life. One of my favorite books is The Way of the Wizard, Twenty Spiritual Lessons for Creating the… Continue

Posted on November 10th, 2009 at 2:37pm — No Comments (Add)

Making New Traditions

In my last posting I talked about the one year anniversary. Other tough days may include your loved one’s birthday; a wedding anniversary; and those difficult holiday times that are fast approaching. No doubt about it ~ there are going to be changes in how you celebrate. The best advice I can offer is to have open and honest communication with your family and friends about their expectations, the changes you envision, and how you plan to implement the changes. It is also your decision how, an… Continue

Posted on October 26th, 2009 at 7:00am — No Comments (Add)

Coping With the Anniversary of the Death of Your Loved One

The word anniversary takes on a whole new meaning for anyone grieving the loss of a loved one. Although an anniversary date is any meaningful date to you and the one you’ve lost, the hardest anniversary date is usually the one that commemorates the day of the death. For me, the anniversary date of the death of my late husband was never as bad as I thought it was going to be. Early on, each year, it would be the couple of weeks that led up to the anniversary that always knocked me for a l… Continue

Posted on October 13th, 2009 at 7:00am — No Comments (Add)

Is There A "Right" Time To Stop Wearing Your Wedding Ring?

Many widow/widowers may wonder when is the proper time to remove an engagement ring and/or wedding ring and, after doing so, what should be done with them. The only possible response to this question is -- do whatever makes you feel comfortable. As there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there is also no right or wrong thing to do with your rings or a time frame that needs to be followed. You may choose to wear your rings for the rest of your life, or you may choose to remove them immediately… Continue

Posted on September 30th, 2009 at 7:00am — 2 Comments (Add)

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