It's not if, but when. Those who love will also grieve. To our detriment, society would rather sanitize or skip over the topic of grief.

Twelve days after her son's wedding, Shirley Thiessen was thrown into the unimaginable task of planning his funeral. Grief threatened to extinguish her purpose for living. Gradually, hope and resiliency emerged as Shirley learned to recycle the pain of loss for good purposes.

While everyone's grief journey is unique, there are tips to be shared and missteps to avoid.