Happily Even After: A Guide to Getting Through (and Beyond) the Grief of Widowhood
Being a fellow widow myself I was honored when I was asked to write the foreword for Carole.
The issues that surround the loss of a spouse are numerous and complex. A very small sampling of these issues include helping children cope with a parent’s death, re-entering the workplace and eventually re-entering the world of dating, love and intimacy; as well as moving through a profoundly emotional period. The widowed must find a way to accept and deal with these oftentimes conflicting and confusing emotions while being expected to “carry on and carry forward” by those around them.
The widowed must also adjust financially and legally; as well as be available to children that inevitably look to their surviving parent for guidance and support. Whether newly widowed or widowed for many years, those who has suffered the loss of a spouse have many questions that need answering and they likely know no one who is adequately qualified to answer those questions. Award-winning author and grief recovery expert, Carole Brody Fleet follows up the critically acclaimed: “Widows Wear Stilettos” with the aptly-titled, Happily Even After, the first and only book of its kind; answering the most common questions that the widowed generally have both immediately following a spouse’s death as well as months and even years thereafter. These questions are excerpted from thousands of actual letters received by the author and the responses are from the author’s own perspective; based upon considerable personal and professional experience and insight. Since the questions featured are the more commonly asked questions by those who are themselves widowed, readers will likely find answers to most of the questions that they have concerning widowhood; dealing with everything from child rearing as a widowed parent to coping with relatives who fancy themselves financial wizards, to the “rules of intimacy”…and a wide-ranging variety of subjects in between. In her warm, witty and wise tone, Carole walks widows through the shock and overwhelming sadness and back into the land of the living. Whether you are a young woman in the early years of a marriage, a Golden Anniversary celebrant or a “widow of the heart” who lost a significant other with no legal claims, Fleet will hold your hand and offer you practical tools for any problem you may face. Most importantly, Happily EVEN After will help you reclaim YOU.
“As a fellow widow on the same journey, the most important point that Carole intertwines in Happily EVEN After is that you start to know ‘you’. She lights up your darkness like a Fairy Godmother, holding your hand while being honest, funny, and realistic. Carole makes you think, laugh, and cry as she guides you on the path to your new life. Happily EVEN After will remind you to never forget the past but enjoy the present and not be afraid of the future that you are in control of having, without guilt. Carole is a true angel and inspiration and you will realize that you are not alone as Happily EVEN After relates, sympathizes, guides, empowers, and mentors as you move forward with a life of abundance.”
—Lisa Kline, Founder, Lisa Kline, LisaKline.com, Iconic Life, Inc