Adult children -- whether they are in their twenties or sixties or somewhere in between -- often need to do much more than make the funeral arrangements when a parent dies. The death of a parent can be a major life-changing event for the adult child.
Regardless of the parent-child relationship or the circumstances surrounding the parent's death, many powerful feelings and memories arise when a parent dies. Adult children have to deal with the immediate loss plus unresolved issues from the past, the new shape of their family, the reality of their own identity and mortality, and the relevance of religious beliefs and values.
The Death of a Parent is filled with stories of people who have lost a parent and how they dealt with the reality of that event. Eighteen stories divided into eight sections touch on a wide range of emotions and situations related to grief, loss and moving on with one's life in a healthy manner. A spiritual reflection concludes each of the sections.