In addition to the familiar ways in which we mourn the dead (placing flowers at a grave, praying for the deceased in a church, etc.), another extremely common but not well-publicized means of mourning involves keeping journals honoring the deceased or writing letters to departed loved ones.
Whether it’s a “Remembering My Brother” journal for a sibling to honor their late brother with daily or periodic entries, or a “Messages to My Grandma” notebook for keeping notes or prayers about a recently departed grandmother, journals and notebooks honoring loved ones who have passed away are very helpful coping tools for grieving and remembrance.
It’s very important, however, to not overlook best friends, cousins, and other close friends and loved ones. The vast majority of remembrance publications on KDP focus on parents. In reality, there are countless other individuals who should be considered as you create books in this genre for mourners.
Although this passage has directed your attention to leveraging books as a means to honor and remember the dead, the broader “grief journal” space should be thoroughly explored by KDPers. And for good reason! Grief journals are life savers for many people in dire grief-stricken situations. In fact, many counselors encourage individuals at all stages of the mourning process to articulate their feelings on paper. It’s a cathartic experience for the individual journaling, and an instructive tool for mental health care providers seeking a more accurate peek into the minds of their patients.
“Grief is an inescapable part of life,” the Funeral Basics blog explains. “For many, grief is associated with losing someone dearly loved. However, it is important to note that grief is not always associated with losing someone; you may be grieving the loss of a job, the collapse of a dream, or the breakup of a relationship. As human beings, we possess deep, complex, multi-faceted emotions, and it’s our responsibility to learn how we individually need to process those emotions. If you are facing a season of grief – whether you’ve lost someone you loved or are experiencing some other pain – keeping a grief journal might be the answer to helping you cope with and process your feelings.”
