Grief is not something to "get over." If you've ever lost someone you loved, you already know how painful it is. Death is the part of life we don't like to deal with. Sudden death is devastating, especially the loss of a child. But, whomever we lose, the grief experience is as difficult as it is inevitable. It is emotional work that requires the bereaved to become even more vulnerable. By going "through it" we can find acceptance and eventually, peace. How I Survived the First Year is a mother's journal of grieving after the death of her 21-year-old son in an auto accident. It details the stages of her mourning and expresses the universal realizations we all must come to each time we encounter the face of death. A road map it is not. There are many paths to peace and we each must find our own road to recovery. It is said that creativity is often born of sadness and pain. In this particular account, we can see the birth of story telling, poems, songs and inner reflections. It is one mother's experience. Perhaps it can help you find a way of confronting the losses of your life.