If you are facing the loss of a loved one, we at Ripepi Funeral Home offer our sincerest condolences. We understand just how difficult a loss can be. When a person dies, there are so many unanswered questions.

When we experience a major loss, grief is the normal and natural way our mind and body react. Everyone grieves differently. And at the same time there are common patterns people tend to share. For example, someone experiencing grief usually moves through a series of emotional stages, such as shock, numbness, guilt, anger and denial.

Many bereaved families turn to each other, to friends, or to clergy at times like these. Often the support of others and the sharing of grief can make a positive difference. If you feel you are having trouble re-engaging in daily activities after a few months, you may want to consider professional help. Counselors can be a great source of comfort and can lead you toward a path of acceptance and healing.

Suggested Readings for the Grieving

From our experience, we have found that the following books have helped others find comfort as well as ways to cope with a loss.

For Adults

  • Kushner, Harold. When Bad Things Happen to Good People. New York: Avon Books, 1998.
  • Grollman, Earl. Living When a Loved One Has Died. New York: Beacon Press, 1997.
  • Lewis, C. S. A Grief Observed. San Francisco: Harper, 1995.
  • Rando, Therese R. How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Has Died. New York: Bantam Books, 1988.
  • Tatelbaum, Judy. The Courage to Grieve. New York: Harper Collins, 1980.
  • Sanders, Catherine. Surviving Grief and Learning to Live Again. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1987.

For Children

  • Buscaglia., L. The Fall of Freddie the Leaf. Thorofare, NJ: Slack Incorporated, 1982. This is a story about a leaf named Freddie. The book tells how Freddie and his companion leaves change with passing seasons, finally falling to the ground with winter’s snow. It is an inspiring allegory illustrating the delicate balance between life and death.
  • Carle, E. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Collins World. This is a story about a caterpillar that goes through changes and transformations to become a beautiful butterfly.
  • Mellonie, B., and Ingepen, R. Lifetimes. The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children. Bantam Books, 1983. Everything has a beginning and an end. All living things reached the end of their own special lifetimes.
  • Hoopes, L. Nana. New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1981. It is the little girl’s first morning without Nana. The girl watches and listens to the morning, calling to the chickadee, the way Nana taught her. Lyn Hoope’s gentle words share with young children a spiritual sense of life, helping them to better understand the loss of a loved one.
  • Maria Shriver, What Color is death, Daddy?