Meryl Hershey Beck's Latest Book
Did you know that 1 in 5 parents outlive their children?
Did you know that there are over 135,000 under 40-year-old deaths each year in the United States?
The passing of a child does not mean you need remain forever bereaved. This treasury of healing stories, collected by a woman who shares your journey, will show you an alternate path. Savor every word as you learn to celebrate the continued presence of your child’s light in your life. ~Suzanne Giesemann, author of Messages of Hope
The bereaved need both practical suggestions on how to handle the death AND inspirational stories to give them hope that they can survive and then thrive.
Loss, Survive, Thrive is filled with uplifting stories to give comfort and hope by focusing on the resurrection of a quality of life after loss. This book offers insight from probably the only voices that grieving parents can listen to – others who have walked in their shoes. Meant to debunk the myth that a parent can never survive losing a child, Loss, Survive, Thrive is a collection of stories written by parents who experienced their own loss, moved through the heartache and pain, reclaimed their vitality, and are living fulfilling lives.
“Loss, Survive, Thrive is no ordinary grief book. This is a melding of broken hearts who provide insight and direction by allowing us to delve deeply, with them, into their own very personal stories.” ~ Susan Whitmore, Founder of griefHaven
ABOUT THE BOOK
Loss, Survive,Thrive offers a lifeline of hope. Each chapter is an inspirational story written by a parent who experienced the agony of losing a child, reclaimed his/her vitality, and is now living a fulfilling life. Every story is authentic and heart-felt, designed to uplift and inspire. The collective authors reach out through the pages to virtually hold hands with those that are suffering. The contributors have all been there – they know the pain, and they know about survival. And now, through their stories, they offer comfort and support in helping those suffering a loss get through the toughest time of their lives. Bereaved parents share an unspeakable bond, and Loss, Survive, Thrive offers insight from probably the only voices that grieving parents can listen to – others who have walked in their shoes.
When people are grieving, they want to be heard and understood. They’re not looking for advice or suggestions — though we mean well and want to offer support, often the words we say contribute to more pain instead. The best support I can imagine is to give this book to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one. They will receive profound sympathetic understanding by reading and relating to the stories in this book of pain and loss and hope and thriving. Within these pages are profound, heartfelt stories that will touch its readers to the depths of their souls and uplift them during these tough transitions.
~ Sylvia Haskvitz, Author of Eat by Choice, Not by Habit and Center for Nonviolent Communication Certified Trainer/Assessor and Communication Consultant
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meryl Hershey Beck M.A., M.Ed.
Amazon bestselling author of Stop Eating Your Heart Out, Meryl is a Master Teacher, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (retired), and Creator of SourceTapping®. She’s knows, both personally and professionally, that it’s possible to not just survive, but to thrive after the death of a child. Her only son, Jonathan, ended his life at age 35. Although Meryl endured the hell of excruciating grief, she chose to face it rather than stuff it. And, she also made a conscious decision to recover and to honor Jon’s memory by living as full and rich a life as possible. She has been called a way-shower, or a role model, demonstrating that a joyful life after significant loss is possible. In this book, Meryl collected stories from 26 other bereaved parents, who are not just surviving but thriving, to give others hope that their lives don’t have to end because of the tragedy they experienced.
Meryl Hershey Beck is a shining example of how wisdom and light can be harvested from the darkest tragedy. As a friend and colleague, I’ve seen her battered by waves of anguish after the suicide of her son, yet she retains her natural buoyancy in the ocean of a mother’s undying love. If you’ve ever wondered if it can be possible to reclaim a whole and joyful life after unthinkable loss, Meryl offers proof.
~ Kate Hawke, Director, Trauma Transformation Network
"We all experience pain and loss as a part of life. The key is to turn the pain into a labor pain and have the curse help us to give birth to a blessing as we learn from the authors’ experience and our own. What the contributors share in Loss, Survive, Thrive and with their words can help us all to learn from the survivors and ease our own pain."
Bernie Siegel, MD
Author of A Book of Miracles and The Art of Healing
"Not long after my son died, I realized I had to make a decision. I could listen to the common wisdom that claimed I would never get over his loss or I could choose to create a meaningful life. I didn't just want to survive, I wanted to thrive, and thanks to the support of countless people, I am thriving today. Loss, Survive, Thrive is an important book that breaks through common ideas about what grief should look like and shares the stories of families who are creating meaning after experiencing the death of their child. We need to raise these voices and this book does exactly that."
Jeannette Maré
Executive Director/Ben's Mom, Ben's Bells Project
"As an expert with more than 30 years in the field of death, dying, and bereavement, I'm delighted that this book exists. With so much grief and loss in the world, this book offers hope to bereaved parents. The contributing authors share their very personal stories of how they pulled themselves out of the abyss of pain, and found the strength to keep on going. This wonderful book will be an invaluable guide to others who have lost a child."
Virginia A. Simpson, Ph.D., FT
(Fellowship in Thanatology), Award-Winning Author: The Space Between: A Memoir of Mother-Daughter Love at the End of Life
"When someone has to face the tragedy of losing a child, I'm glad this book is available to help them get through it. The stories offer hope and role models. My own grandmother gave up on life after her eldest son was killed in the Second World War and she died not long after. As bereaved parents trudge through the darkest of days, the stories in this book show they are not alone and give them hope that life can go on."
David Feinstein
Author of Rituals for Living and Dying
"This is such an important book! When people are faced with a major trauma, like losing a child, they feel they are out alone in the middle of a deep, dark ocean with no land in sight. That’s when they need a life preserver and compass to not drown in the intensity of the emotions of grief. Every story in Loss, Survive, Thrive demonstrates how a bereaved parent made it out, each with a different roadmap. This book will be treasured by not only the grieving parents, but also their support people who don’t know how to help."
Robin Trainor
Trauma Specialist
"As a trauma therapist, I have seen how a major loss can lead to a lifetime of suffering. I also know that even the most devastating trauma can be healed under the right conditions. However, most people never find the quality of support that's needed, and this is especially true in the case of the death of a child – an immeasurable loss on many dimensions, which strikes at the core of our identity and trust in the goodness of life. Meryl Hershey Beck has a rare ability to unflinchingly share her journey, showing how it is possible to honor a life cut short with an ongoing relationship that is fully open to love. This message could only be delivered by someone speaking from her own experience. I highly recommend Loss, Survive, Thrive to bereaved parents and those who care about them, and for anyone who looks for reassurance that we can emerge from the depths of grief to rebuild a life of strength, compassion, and undiminished joy."
Kate Hawke
Director, Trauma Transformation Network
"I have lived through the grief of losing many loved ones. Reading these stories of loss of a child, extreme grief and healing has affected me greatly. Each chapter broke my heart wide open again. Each chapter became a salve of healing again. The grace and courage it takes to dive into unfathomable suffering and not only drift through but fight and kick through to resurfacing into acceptance, hope and joy became another level of healing my own heart wounds. I recommend it to anyone who has a heart."
