I had no idea what I was doing when I started writing A New Normal: Learning to Live with Grief and Loss eight years ago. Had it not been for the encouragement of friends and colleagues, the book wouldn’t even exist. I did my best at the time but honestly never imagined anyone would buy it, let alone care to read what I had written. I had no idea how wrong I was.

The simple little book traveled far and wide, taking on a life of its own. Every person I met along the way, every direct or indirect piece of feedback I received, every new experience and awareness I had motivated me to want to write a new and better version.

I have listened carefully to all of you, including the people who like the book and people who don’t. You were whispering in my ear as I wrote this Second Edition. I heard how you resonated with the case studies and stories and I added more. Many sections have been expanded and some completely rewritten. I was surprised at how strongly many of you connected with the section comparing divorce to death, so I expanded that into an entire chapter on this subject alone. I also like to believe I have become a better writer over the years, a more skilled clinician as I celebrate 20 years, and a wiser woman in my own relentless pursuit of personal growth and development.

To all of you who have supported me in my work, I am eternally grateful. I appreciate your kindness in seeing past the less-than-perfect efforts of a new writer, looking deeper to find the messages inside. If you are new to my books, you will meet a more seasoned writer and see a more polished publication, but hopefully, the messages remain the same. After all, it was always about the messages.

Darlene F. Cross, MS, MFT, Inc.

www.darlenecross.com

Author:  Amazon Bestseller, A New Normal:  Learning to Live with Grief and Loss (2010, 2017)

                Reinventing Normal:  How Choice and Change Shape Our Lives (2013)