For over a decade, Erin Nelson and her team of professionals and dedicated volunteers at Jessica’s House have been offering support for children and their families who have lost a loved one. Now, Nelson and licensed therapist Colleen Montague are hoping to reach even more families suffering loss through their new book, “When Grief Comes Home.”

Writing a book was not a new idea for Nelson, but instead a deferred dream.

“When I was 26, my husband died very suddenly in a mid-air collision, and I had two kids, five and three. I had this moment where I read a book from somebody whose husband had also died in a mid-air collision, and it just became a lifeline for me…I felt like there was really no one else who could understand what I was going through during that time. I think it just was a spark of hope that maybe someday I could, even in a small way, come alongside someone…So about 10 years later, I got involved in a writers’ critique group and started just dreaming about writing a book, and then really put that that on hold as we opened Jessica’s House and we got this started. It was such a gift to be able to be in person, helping families and just really serving the community through grief support. And so that dream (of writing a book) really got put on hold,” said Nelson.

“And then, when my son Carter died, there was something that renewed in me about writing. And I think writing is so healing as well. I experienced this new type of loss, a child loss, it just really deepened that desire to be a friend to someone who had lost a child, and being able to expand the ministry of Jessica’s House with a book.”

The book shares some of Nelson’s person story, then it’s a practical tool for parents and also has expressive activities at the end of every chapter.

“There might be a journaling prompt for a parent, or some kind of movement or expression through art or music, then ends with a little blessing for the parent,” said Nelson.

The book covers a lot of grief topics that Nelson and Montague have seen firsthand time after time at Jessica’s House, including the early days of grieving, grief and its affects on the body, how to honor the connection with a lost loved one, returning to work or school after loss and facing holidays and other milestones after loss, just to name a few.

“Every chapter is a different topic that we hear a lot about in groups, whether it’s with the adults or with kiddos,” said Montague, who is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the program director for Jessica’s House.

“I think so often families wonder, will be okay? Are my kids going to be okay? And what we found is…there are those moments where you start to see hope return for them. And it takes time, but they can get that little bit of hope. It’s like they can borrow it from the person they’re sitting next to. It’s that mom whose husband died two years before, and she’d doing it. She’s doing life…And that gives this other mom hope, like maybe I can get there too. And so that’s what we’re hoping the book can give, is all these experiences, all that we’re sharing. They all are doing okay. They found their hope again, and so maybe I can too.”

The book is available anywhere books are sold (Bookish, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target) and at Jessica’s House, 1225 W. Christoffersen Parkway. Nelson said all the proceeds from the book goes back to Jessica’s House, which provides grief support to children and families free of charge.

Nelson, Montague and other members of the Jessica’s House staff are sharing their knowledge about grief through a biweekly podcast, also called When Grief Comes Home.

“We are just together and talking and doing a little deeper dive into these topics that we’re bringing into the book,” said Montague.

For more information about Jessica’s House, visit: jessicashouse.org.