Grief with Hope: How to Navigate Loss Without Losing Yourself by Nerlisa Elyza Francisco Rivera a.k.a. Lady Elyza is a journey of encouragement. As someone who has experienced multiple deaths and tragedies in my personal life, I have learned to befriend grief along the way. My goal now is to continue living while grief remains, and this book has been helpful in unlocking blocked emotions such as anger and resentment. Indeed, grief is a dynamic reality, and dealing with it should not be linear.
I empathize with the author because her description of loss is all too familiar. Like her, I was also shocked when I lost my loved ones. I also faced the similar process of denial, disbelief, and shock. I am happy that the author has a solid support system who helped her navigate through the pain while also dealing with their own sadness.
There is hope, because life is a process of going through highs and lows. The only consolation about grief is the knowledge that loss is acknowledged, and that it can be a familiar presence in one’s life.
The biggest takeaway that I got from this book was that our loved ones are not ours. We do not own them. We have no control over them. When they pass away, it is up to us to deal with their loss, not the other way around. We have the free will and the agency to pick ourselves up. We can still show up for ourselves. This book is a gift for the grieving, as well as their caretakers who sometimes do not know how to deal with the changes in their lives.
Grief with Hope: How to Navigate Loss Without Losing Yourself by Nerlisa Elyza Francisco Rivera a.k.a. Lady Elyza is now available!