Living Without the One You Cannot Live Without Review & Giveaway

About the book

From the first, life-changing terminal diagnosis to a new way of life as a widow, the deeply moving journey of mourning a beloved spouse’s death is the subject of Natasha Josefowitz’s candid, uplifting collection of poems, Living Without the One You Cannot Live Without. Drawing from her own personal experiences navigating the grief of this seemingly unbearable loss, the author’s tender and thoughtful perspective is certain to offer hope and healing to anyone who is embarking on his or her own journey of grief and healing process, regardless of age and life stage.

With rich insight and raw honesty, Living Without the One You Cannot Live Without guides the reader from mourning to recovery, using simple, relatable poetry that casts an unflinching eye on the day-to-day experiences entailed with losing a loved one. The collection starts with a diagnosis of cancer and travels through the moments experienced in doctors' offices, hospice care, the funeral, and on to the reality of a life alone. Examining the grief process chronologically, the poems progress from the painful early days to the second year, when healing has occurred. The book then culminates with a strong message of hope, as the grieving person emerges once again as a self-sufficient, confident person who is facing the next adventure life has to offer.

Natasha Josefowitz was inspired to put her poems on paper by her own experience with the death of her husband, as well as the grief she witnessed among so many of her friends. She now endeavors to help others who are confronting the unimaginable end of a central relationship. With compassion, clarity, and profound humanity, Living Without the One You Cannot Live Without is certain to offer solace and support to those who are bereft, and who will benefit from empathy and emotional connection as they work through their own grief toward help and healing.

About the author

Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D., earned her master's degree at age 40 and Ph.D. at 50. She was a professor of business for 30 years and is an internationally known keynote speaker.  For ten years she had her own weekly program on public radio and a monthly segment on television. She has also been a guest on numerous radio and TV shows including All Things Considered, The Larry King Show, The Dr. Ruth Show, and The CBS News with Dan Rather to name a few. 

Dr. Josefowitz is the best-selling author and award-winning poet of 20 books. Her articles and poems have been published in over a hundred journals and magazines including the Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, the London Times, and most major newspapers in the United States. She says that laughter is the best medicine and laughing at ourselves and with each other will help us heal faster. 

You can connect with the author at her blog: http://www.natashajosefowitz.blogspot.com/

My thoughts

When I heard about this book, I was intrigued by it because of its format. Dr. Josefowitz wrote about the pain and anguish of losing her husband and the process of healing through poetry. I know the pain of losing someone you love and care about, but I have never lost someone really close to me. I wanted to read it because I wanted to better understand those you have gone through this type of loss.

Through the poems, I was able to see the raw pain and emotion Dr. Josefowitz experienced upon the death of her husband. I learned about the delicate stage of trying to survive the grief, how slowly one can heal, and how one can start to find the beauty in life again.

I think this is a beautiful book of poems to read for anyone who has lost a special someone in their life. It doesn't have to be a spouse since the poetry can be applied to the loss of a sibling, a parent, or a friend. This poem really stood out to me because I could relate to it in a variety of ways.

It's Showtime!

When I am about to be with people

I say to myself

"It's showtime,"

and I walk into a room

smiling, shaking hands

I say, "I'm doing fine"

lies -- all lies

I'm not fine at all

I'm grieving

I'm suffering

I'm lonely

but it's showtime

and so I put on my happy face

put energy into my walk

when I really feel like slumping

like crawling, like not moving at all

instead I stand erect

look people in the eye

and proclaim

"I'm fine"

this makes everyone else happy

I have played my part

I have met expectations

it would be too embarrassing

to say, "I'm hurting"

"Lend me a shoulder to cry on"

"Let me tell you

how terrible I feel

how awful it is"

so I say, "I'm fine"

becaause

it's showtime

Giveaway 
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*Disclosure: I received this product mentioned in this post at no cost in order to do this review. All opinions are my own. Howling Horn is not responsible for prize shipment to the winners as this is a sponsored giveaway.