Dealing with death is never an easy subject and giving yourself permission to grieve is a needed step in recovery. Sands Funeral Chapels understand the pain you are going through and offer many free Arborcare pamphlets to help you with your loss. Please feel free to contact us about any of the listed titles.

We are proud to be affiliated with Arbor Memorial Services Inc. of Canada that publishes these very helpful pamphlets. A Canadian company, Arbor Memorial Services owns over 90 funeral homes, 39 cemeteries and 23 crematoriums from Victoria to Halifax.

• Arborcare…when your parent dies.
  
  
• Arborcare…when your spouse dies.
  
  
• Arborcare…when your brother or sister dies.
  
  
• Arborcare…my child has died!
  
  
• Arborcare…the grieving family .
  
  
• Arborcare…when a young friend dies
• Arborcare...when i grow too old to grieve
• Arborcare...anticipatory greif: what is it?
• Arborcare...good grief
• Arborcare...how do dead people get chocolate cake .

Overcoming Loneliness After Loss
By Erin Diehl

Eight years ago, when my husband, Dave, died with cancer after only three months' illness, I was so overwhelmed with loneliness I thought the huge chasm of pain would never be filled. The days were an endless maze of meaningless routine, and my emotions ran amok like a mal-functioning roller coaster. The nights were even worse. I couldn't sleep and spent the lonely hours trying to read and pray, or wandering from room to room seeking I knew not what. I was alone and my big, old Victorian house was filled with memories and heartbreaking reminders of our 43 happy years together. How would I ever make it alone?

Now I look back, and although I still miss my husband's goodness and loving presence, I feel only a gentle ache in my heart. Today I can agree with an anonymous quote I put on my refrigerator door eight years ago: "It's not so bad and you're not the only one!" How did I get to this point of having a peaceful heart? Having decided eight years ago to be a "creative survivor," as out-lined in one of the many books I read on grief during those sleepless nights, I tried to do all the practical thigs I could. I did not feel like myself for a very long time, but some of things I found helpful may help you, too.