Majority in Survey find Grief Painful, but Twitter-inspired Book looks at the “Good from Grief”
Industry: Books
More will grieve than ever before, and majority associate grief with depression, but book looks at grief as a force for good worldwide in 288 twitter-sized life stories
Maryland (PRUnderground) November 8th, 2013
More Americans will grieve in next decade than ever before, but in new survey by grief support non-profit, www.MyGriefAngels.org, over 80% of respondents said “they were not prepared for dealing with loss, they want schools to better prepare us, and majority associated grief with depression, pain and illness”, but new twitter-inspired book, “Good from Grief”, looks to change that with 288 inspiring life stories.
According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, “The number of women in the U.S. having babies after 40 is highest in decades” (https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/aug/15/delaying-the-diapers/ ), and the Census Bureau reports that, “The share of Householders age 75 and older is at the highest levels” (https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/families_households/cb12-216.html).
NPR and the National Academy of Sciences tell us that “Americans are falling behind in the getting older race with the average American male departing at 75.64 and American females at 80.2”
(https://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/10/21/239000940/americans-fall-behind-in-the-getting-older-race ), and The Social Security Administration says that “3.5 percent of children younger than 18 will lose their mother or father, and that as people now become parents when they are older, this number is likely to increase.”
(https://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130609/NEWS10/306090001?nclick_check=1 )Combined, these four trends will push the total number of Americans grieving, and specially children, to some of the highest levels ever, but in a new survey by online grief support non-profit, www.MyGriefAngels.org, the overwhelming majority of survey respondents indicate that “They were not prepared for dealing with the loss of a loved one, they want schools to do a better job of preparing us for this natural part of life, and they associate grieving with pain and depression”. The new Twitter-inspired book , “Good from Grief”(www.GoodfromGrief.org ), addresses head on the survey’s call for greater grief education, and grief’s negative association.
The book is by two Harvard classmates that felt uneducated, unprepared and lost in dealing with the death of their loved ones. Through a Twitter project, “Turning Grief into Something Positive”, they selected and shared daily stories of individuals who in the midst of unthinkable pain found the inner strength to turn their grief into something positive. The unexpected healing effect of this project on their own grief journeys, led them to make a case for the positive side of grief with this book. The side that is empowering individuals worldwide in the midst of unbearable pain to turn their grief into something positive for all of us.
The authors, Chao and Failde, share 288 of these life stories in twitter-sized paragraphs that give a glimpse at the powerful positive impact grief, through individuals like those featured in the book, is making in our communities worldwide.
From unshakeable personal commitments to new laws, organizations, research, and awareness campaigns so others they have never met will not have to face the tragedies their families faced – to achieving new heights in the arts, sports, and literature to help others heal and to serve as an examples of triumphs over grief.
Chao and Failde point out, “We all grieve differently and the stories shared here are not meant as a roadmap through grief, but as a glimpse at some of the possibilities through the roads taken by others.”
The book includes the inspiring and educational examples of folks like, “A grieving daughter from a family of doctors, whose mother had gone in for knee replacement surgery but died due to complications, turner her grief to a mission and foundation to help prevent the 200,000 yearly deaths from preventable medical error”
“Bruce and Denise Morcombes, who were recently rewarded for their unrelenting dedication to child safety with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), Australia’s highest recognition”. Since the death of their son after being abducted in 2003, they have dedicated themselves to helping other children avoid the fate of their son.”
“A mom, whose 14 year old son was repeatedly bullied at school for being Gay and Asian, is on mission to get new anti-bullying laws in place in schools”
“Named by Interview magazine as one of the “Most Noble Crusaders of the Modern Era,” Vance’s life was turned upside-down when she lost her only son, Sam, a 19 year old college freshman, to the scourge of heroin. Determined to make a significant impact, Vance took her “fashion with a cause” message to the fashion and entertainment industries with the Sam Vance Foundation and Sama Eyewear”
The book includes sections with the latest information on “How grief impacts our health,” “What coping strategies others grieving are using to get through grief attacks,” “What you should not say to those of us grieving,” “How to find grief support by your type of loss,” and “What are these signs others grieving talk about?”
In an effort to address the need for greater grief education, all authors’ proceeds from the distribution of the book will go to fund the development of free “Grief Education” Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and the efforts of those who would want to turn their grief into something positive.
About My Grief Angels, Inc. (Non-Profit)
My Grief Angels, Inc., www.MyGriefAngels.org, is a Houston-based online grief support group. My Grief Angels is a Great NonProfits – 2013 Top Rated Non-Profit (www.greatnonprofits.org)
INFOMATIC ON GRIEF SURVEY:
https://magic.piktochart.com/output/691629-griefsurveyresults
”Good From Grief”, Chao Failde, (Grief Media 2013):
www.GoodFromGrief.org
