This piece was written in partnership with Nisha Zenoff.
Not too long ago I came across The Unspeakable Loss: How Do You Live After a Child Dies?, a thoughtful and necessary book by Nisha Zenoff. The heart of the book is not the death of Zenoff’s 17-year-old son Victor who was killed in a hiking accident; rather, it’s the urgent set of universal questions such as the ones below that Zenoff poses and then answers summarily for her readers:
- “Will my tears ever stop?”
- “Who am I now without my child?”
- “How can I help my other children cope?”
- “Will my marriage survive?”
The structure of The Unspeakable Loss is what makes the book such essential reading. Each Q & A is a quick and satisfying read and every section provides a soothing Band-Aid of support and information. Zenoff’s warm and welcoming approach acknowledges the outsize pain of losing a child, yet offers the kind of opportunity that gives permission to other bereaved parents to embrace life, love, and joy again.
For Zenoff, the decision to move forward involves honoring Victor’s love of the outdoors. She and her husband sprinkled his ashes along a dirt trail in the woods. Zenoff’s daughter named one of her daughters Victoria, in honor of her brother. Opportunities for remembering like these are just the types of meaningful strategies I share in Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive.
Grief experts agree the key to healing after loss is creating meaningful rituals of remembrance. Focusing on practical ways to remember loved ones is why Passed and Present is truly a how-to guide for celebrating the family and friends we never want to forget. When we create authentic opportunities for remembering we honor what our family and friends still mean to us.
If you’re seeking a way to help a friend grieving the loss of a child, Zenoff’s book is a powerful gift. If you’ve lost a child, do yourself a favor — buy this book.