Visual Grief Journal
Turned Bereavement Gift

I certainly did not have a future bereavement gift in mind when I put together my poetry and contemplative photography from my own grief journey. I was just doing what I needed to do to find healing. As I worked through the death of my husband, I put my raw emotions into poetry. And I took photos of images from nature that expressed my feelings. I had no idea that this would one day be published.

One of the best sympathy gifts I received was time, help, and supplies from my aunts for creating memory books. It gave me a space to honor my husband, as well as my own loss. It also helped me work through the grief process. Out of that came a grief journal of narrative, slice-of-life poems and photos.

A published sympathy inspirational gift
At a retreat we were talking about journaling. So I shared my digitally printed journal with the group. A pastoral counselor came up to me and asked if I had considered publishing the book. He felt it would make a great bereavement gift.

Therapists often encourage those in grief to read from the experiences of others. The problem is most bereaved people have a hard time focusing on traditional books—they are just too long with too many words for a swirling mind. So my short, narrative poems tell the story in readable chunks, to which people with a variety of experiences can relate.

The nature photos throughout the book also connect with the wide variety of human emotion experienced in grief and loss. So I’m being told over and over that the book is helping people grieve. And it is helping them find healing and beauty amid the pain.

Want to read more about this new sympathy gift? Click Seasons of Solace.