MSI Press Blog

  This week's blog post is the next in the series of book back stories and is the story behind Life after Losing a Child (Young & Romer). From the author -  A former editor of mine, as well as a good friend, lost her son. When she called to tell me, I walked around my house for an hour before I wrote her a poem. It is the first page in a book I co-authored with another good friend, my late friend Joanna Romer. We agreed, before writing the book, that a loss such as that was even more painful – and different – than the loss we both shared as widows.  We set forth to interview parents who had lost children and followed each chapter on loss with a healing chapter, depicting ways each parent dealt with the loss in a positive way to help with healing. Several of the interview chapters were friends of ours, which made it all the more real, and painful. I hope this book has helped a parent who lost a child in a good way. Paperback copies of this book can be purchased at the MSI Press

  Excerpt from Life after Losing a Child by Pat Young and Romer - Losing a Second Child Cristy got her transplant and seemed to be doing very well. She enrolled in college and went on with her life, but then her lungs failed again. She had a double lung transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Then, she needed a kidney transplant because the anti-rejection medicine caused her kidneys to fail. Kathleen was relieved when she was able to donate one of hers to her daughter. If nothing else, it would buy them more time.            The day before she was to receive her bachelor’s degree, the doctors told Cristy her lungs were failing and there was nothing else they could do. “Mom,” Cristy had said to Kathleen in tears, “I’m dying, and I don’t want to die.” Cristy moved back home where her mom could take care of her. Kathleen made her car into “a little ambulance” and took her daughter to Pittsburgh, hoping to get another transplant. Despite all of Kathleen’s efforts, Cristy p

  The following is the story behind Exercising in a Pandemic (Young) From the author: When the pandemic hit, I talked to many people who were dismayed at the temporary closing of places like the YMCA (where I used to be a volunteer and where I frequently went to exercise) and other fitness centers around town. Especially for women, ongoing exercise is important in order to retain muscles and flexibility. For everyone, no matter what age or gender, exercise is so good for keeping the brain and the body healthy. Many of us were working out at home, and that inspired my book, Exercising in a Pandemic. There are so many ways to work out at home, even while doing chores or watching television.  The idea is to just keep moving. One example from my book is to include kids or pets in the action – lift them instead of weights. They might think it is fun. The ideas are simple and imaginative. Even now that the pandemic is behind us, working out at home is easy and convenient to add to your day,

excerpt from Exercising in a Pandemic (Young) -  Exercising In the House             Exercising at home doesn’t involve travel time to the gym, and it sets a good example for kids and other family members who might be parked in front of the television set or computer screen. Maybe they will get up and exercise with you. Maybe you can switch the television or computer to an exercise program and involve the whole family, or just leave the television on and exercise while you watch something the whole family enjoys. If the television is turned off, find some lively music on the radio to work out with. Stretch to classical or new age music. Work out to jazz or rock. Find whatever lively music your whole family likes if you are working out together. Working out to music you enjoy makes exercising more fun. You will be more likely to continue an exercise regimen.             Start with basic exercises. Jumping jacks, stretches, squats, lunges and push-ups or knee push-ups are good starters.

  The following post is from Pat Young, co-author of Life after Losing a Child . The holidays conjure up visions of families enjoying the festive atmosphere of Christmas. But it’s not so festive for everyone. One woman I interviewed while working on a book lost her son a few months before Christmas. The family kept him with them during the holidays by putting his photograph under the Christmas tree.                 “We had him with us for Christmas,” the grieving mother said.                 Another family kept their son’s memory alive by including his beloved dog in festivities. The dog had acquired many mannerisms from its late companion. Even questionable “dog manners” like begging at the dinner table were accepted with a smile and fond memories of the boy who would slip treats to the dog while eating dinner.                 There is no easy way to erase the pain of loss, but especially during the holiday season, fond and happy memories can be shared and at least soften the pain.   

  excerpt from Life after L RIVER CHILD   Our children are like rivers Flowing with the seasons of our lives. Some meander gently Through pockets of humanity. Some flow quietly into oceans, While others encounter Deep gorges and tumbling waterfalls. It is this “challenged river” Which carves the deepest banks, Leaving the greatest mark upon the earth. While some of our river children Flow on through many sunsets, Others make a briefer splash. But when the river child Who flowed through many challenges Disappears, It leaves behind those beautiful carvings, Etched deeply into the banks Of our memories. -Pat Young osing a Child For more posts about the late Joanna Romer and her works, click HERE . For more posts about Pat Young and her works, click HERE . 25% discount on paperback with code FF25 at www.msipress.com/shop Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  Excerpt from Exercising in a Pandemic Isolation             COVID-19, with all the pandemic’s accompanying closures and self-isolation, required a change of lifestyle, especially for those who were used to being active and following an exercise regimen. For several months, people were not able to go to the gym, the golf course or the tennis court. You couldn’t go for a walk in the park or on the beach to stay active, because parks and beaches were closed as well. With the stay-at-home order in place, even socializing was curtailed, and socializing goes hand-in-hand with staying active and exercising. Businesses and restaurants were closed. Shopping malls, where many people would go to enjoy their walks, were closed.             Innovative ways to stay active were born almost overnight, because exercise is the known core to staying healthy, both physically and mentally. Did you notice people out walking that you had never seen before in the neighborhood, and yards newly landscaped and

Extracted from photo by M. Katherine Shear, M.D. See original photo with words and blog article at aspire.com .   Whether they die in war, from illness, by suicide, or as a result end-of-life issues, their loss affects relatives, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and colleagues in  devastating ways. The following books are gentle but helpful treatments of the issues of bereavement and grief. Damascus amid the War by Muna Imady Written by popular author, Muna Imady, whose book, Syrian Folktales, has delighted an uncountable number of readers outside of Syria, Damascus amid the War tells the very human story of the devolution of a society. The book containts 29 pre-war poins, vibrant with imagery of daily life in a robust Damascus. The 100 war poems that follow show the devastating affect on the people who navigate a daily existence after war came. This is a posthumous publication, containing Muna’s very last works and an introduction by her mother, Elaine Imady, author of Road to Dama

  Pat Young has written for the  Daytona Beach News Journal ,   South Bend Tribune ,   Flint (MI) Journal ,   Clarkston (MI) News ,   Hometown News   in Daytona Beach, Florida,   New Mexico Magazine ,   Silver City Life Magazine   and other publications. She also worked in public relations and advertising for several real estate companies in Michigan, New Mexico and Florida. She earned awards for her writing, including National Newspaper Association and Michigan Press Association awards. She earned two media awards while at the   South Bend Tribune . One of her stories in   New Mexico Magazine   (“Giant Wind Harp in Tune with Nature”) was chosen for inclusion in the SIRS Discoverer data base. She has an associate degree in liberal arts. She has written stories, articles and poetry since she was a kid, but the book she is co-authoring with Joanna Romer,   Life after Losing a Child , is her first book. When she isn’t writing, she volunteers at the Port Orange, Florida YMCA and at the Pon