No one should ever have to grieve alone
Have you ever felt completely alone in your grief? Pressured to move on, misunderstood or just plain weary? At Permission to Mourn our heart is to provide a safe space, a community, for those in the midst of grief. Let’s give ourselves permission to say, “Yes, this hurts” and “No, today, my heart is not OK.” Let’s tell our stories, broken, beautiful stories sitting together (even virtually) listening more than we speak and allowing time and the ministry of presence to begin to open doors of healing.
Permission to Mourn
What are people saying about the book?
“We will all walk the grief road at some time in our lives, which is why Permission to Mourn s such essential reading. Beautifully written, it is both sensitive and practical, yet not afraid to deal with the tough stuff. Ruth Potinu has produced a very different book from many others on the difficult subject of bereavement. Thankfully devoid of easy answers and thoughtless platitudes, she encourages us to exchange our preconceptions of how we, who are left behind, are ‘supposed’ to behave, and get on with the healing business of grieving.
Between the covers of this book, information, wisdom, and reflective Scripture sit alongside the personal stories of people who have walked this painful road of suffering…and survived. And yet this is not a sad book. Rather, it is drenched with hope, and filled with an assurance that God is good…all the time, even through the darkest of journeys.”
-Catherine Campbell, Author of Broken Works Best and Journey with Me
“Permission to Mourn is the book you never want, but when you experience a deep loss are grateful exists. Rooted in the reality of loss and the sustaining grace of hearing from others who have walked a similar path, this book reminds you of the heart of our loving God who is deeply moved by your loss. Permission to Mourn is destined to become a must-read book.”
-Amy Young Author of Looming Transitions and founder of Global Trellis“Grief is a part of everyone’s life at one point or another. Ruth helpfully acknowledges that ‘grief is messy and uncomfortable without a lot of answers’ while compiling stories of comfort and healing that point the reader to the God of all comfort who meets us in our grief. Anyone who finds themselves in a season of grieving or loss will find encouragement for their journey in these pages
-Peter and Mary Frey daily vloggers of the Frey Life
We all long for a community that gets us. And in different seasons of our lives, we find we need to lean on others who have gone before us, others who can be our guide. Ruth invites us to follow her as she guides us into her community of grief. She opens the door to a worldwide community of grievers and gives us permission to explore a better way to grieve. Scriptures and stories of others show us we aren’t alone and provide an unexpected comfort to the mourning heart. This book is a gift. There are few communities we will all one day need to be welcomed into; grief is one of them. Ruth welcomes us here with hope and open arms.
-Denise Beck, Executive Director of Velvet Ashes
“…I read several books (even written from a Christian perspective) that fell flat for me. I could have used yours in the midst of my grief. I can see some things I could have done differently to make my grieving process more bearable and less solitary …”
-Amy Post
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“I literally cried my way through the book and felt loved the entire way.”
-Lydia Delgado
“No one wants or expects to need a book on grief. But repeatedly I’ve found myself experiencing profound sorrow over the death of a loved one or close friend. As I tried to walk through those times of heart wrenching loss, I’ve wanted something I could read or share, something that would offer understanding, comfort, and hope. Ruth Potinu has given us this in her book Permission to Mourn. Ruth has lived in several different cultures, and experienced deep loss, beginning with the death of her twin sister. She shares “grief stories” with an honesty that will resonate with those walking through hard times. It is comforting to know that you aren’t alone. Thank you, Ruth, for writing a book that will give much-needed help and hope to many.”
Jamie Janosz, Managing Editor, Today in the Word, author of When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up.
We want to hear your story
As a way to provide space for people to process, each month we will provide a writing prompt related to grief to help each other better understand some of the different facets often faced when grieving loss.
The power of story…
Permission to Mourn is very much a collaboration. No one person’s story is the same and yet there are often so many “me too” moments when someone shares an honest story of how their life was touched by loss. The book Permission to Mourn shares stories of loss relating to still birth, suicide, unexpected deaths, losing a loved one slowly and so much more.
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