Barbara Hopkinson Pens a Stirring Memoir of a Bereaved Mother
Boston, Mass. (PRWEB) July 09, 2013 -- In conjunction with The Compassionate Friends’ National Conference being held this week at The Boston Sheraton Hotel in Copley Square, Barbara Hopkinson unveiled her inspiring book designed to guide bereaved families through their journey of grief.
Called “A Butterfly’s Journey…Healing Grief After the Loss of a Child,” the memoir poignantly details Hopkinson’s healing approach and messages of hope as a bereaved parent who lost three children in three different ways: one child through a miscarriage, a son who was a stillborn, and another adult son in a motorcycle accident. “The death of a child is not normal,” Hopkinson explains. “Our children are not supposed to predecease us—our psyche is not prepared for this level of loss. Ripping a child out of a family changes everything.”
According to The Compassionate Friends (http://www.compassionatefriends.org), “In the United States, it is expected that over 100,000 infants, children, teenagers, and young adults will die this year. In addition, more than 25,000 families can be expected to face a stillbirth and nearly 600,000 an early pregnancy loss.”
During her grieving process, Hopkinson’s 30-year marriage came undone, her remaining son flunked out of college, and her IBM job changed dramatically. All this caused great financial stress, and she had to live alone for the first time in her life at age 51.
Her anguish and grief led her to start and become the chapter leader for the past 10 years of The Compassionate Friends of Greater Newburyport, a local support group for bereaved families. Simultaneously, Hopkinson embarked on a spiritual journey that changed her life forever, allowing her to recover from her grief, focus on the love in her life, and find happiness again.
Hopkinson bares her soul as she shares the ups and downs of her healing journey. She provides insights, tools and resources to help other bereaved parents and families.
“Love is what brings us joy and hope,” Hopkinson stresses. “While not easy, over time, by shifting our focus from one of grief and loss to one of love and happy memories, we can move more quickly toward healing and acceptance.”
With deep compassion, Hopkinson advises:
“Be patient with yourself and those around you. Everyone grieves differently, including your family. Those who have not been through the death of a child may not fully understand how to support you. Helping others helps you heal. Giving feels good and takes the focus away from yourself. Trust your intuition rather than others’ opinions and be open to new and alternative ways of healing as you learn to embrace 'a new normal."”
“I help bereaved families go from not knowing how the world can possibly move on without their child, to gaining greater confidence in knowing how strong they have become—although none of us would have chosen this method to build our strength,” Hopkinson notes.
The wisdom gleaned for Hopkinson’s journey detailed in A Butterfly’s Journey has been acknowledged by many, including New York Times best-selling author Andre Dubus III (http://www.AndreDubus.com), who said after reading the book: “Barbara Hopkinson has done something extraordinarily generous here: she has taken her bottomless grief and shined a hard-earned light through it, the light that never dies, a parent’s love for her child. A Butterfly’s Journey is an important and timely contribution to the literature of spiritual and life-loving resilience.”
For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.abutterflysjourney.com and barbara(at)abutterflysjourney(dot)com, or they may contact the author through 617-410-6309. She may also be reached at P.O. Box 872 Newburyport, MA 01950 or through Gail Jones (Publicist) 978-325-1911.
About the Author
Barbara Hopkinson was born in Maine, raised in Massachusetts, and lived several years in New Jersey. A Butterfly’s Journey is her first full-length book, after publishing blogs, articles, and book reviews in the business world. She retired after a successful career in technology sales, including 10 years as an IBM executive. One of her passions is travel, having visited more than forty countries so far. She is a multiple bereaved parent, which inspired her to write about her journey to help others. She founded and continues to lead The Compassionate Friends of Greater Newburyport, Mass., a local chapter of an international organization whose mission is to support families after the loss of a child. Barbara has a happy family life with her second husband, James Hopkinson, her remaining son Brad and three adult step-children, Melanie, Matthew and Christopher.
A Butterfly's Journey * by Barbara Hopkinson
Healing Grief After the Loss of a Child
Publication Date: June 17, 2013
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 269 pages; 978-1-4797-9526-0
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