From One Widow to Another

Books on grieving :

Conversations on the New You,
Moody Publishers, Chicago (2009)
By Miriam Neff,

The following is the first paragraph of Miriam Neff’s book From one Widow to Another:
Imagine a single event that will dramatically change your calendar, your check book, your friendship network, the contents of your refrigerator, the temperature you set your thermostat, your outlook on your future, and your connection with your children. And that’s not all. Your appearance may change, your emotions, your sleep patterns, your theology, your social status, and possibly your address.

From one Widow to Another is written by a widow who is Christian and whose faith and positive outlook on life has helped her shape a new and rewarding life chapter, after forty-one years of marriage. Through the unique lens of someone who has walked the road, the book contains practical advice on financial matters, tips on living alone and recommended readings. Throughout the book, Neff acknowledges the widow’s vulnerabilities: the grief, the depression and the fear experienced by most. Neff dispels certain myths about socialization and relates that as a widow she learned to release people from her former life and to adjust her friendships to her single woman reality.

Neff discovered that “hearing others’ stories helps me sort out my own”. Thus, in the book From one Widow to Another, she has included many testimonies from widows of all walks of life who have lost their husbands, the father of their children and who have met the struggle head-on. She believes in the importance of supporting one another in difficult times and even suggests an organizational model for widows who would like to set up a support group in their community.

Miriam Neff is not only a spiritual adviser, a born leader but also a down to earth and a practical woman who has her own website, Widow connection.com. Check it out and be inspired!