Transcending Trauma

We are grounded in the faith that the ideal Western family has 2.2 children, an idyllic marriage, a suburban home with an affordable mortgage, full employment, and no serious conflicts... This mythical "average family" never experiences serious illness, accidents, bereavement, alcoholism, abuse, mental illness, depression, miscarriage, unemployment, family break-up, delinquent children, conflict with the law, failure, or any other shock. This myth is terribly destructive, for it leads us to rage and blame endlessly when trauma does inevitably strike. The bad news is that every one of us - every person reading this book, and every person who avoids reading anything about trauma or grief - will suffer not just one, but repeated traumas in their lives. The good news is that God offers to you the same love and support, the same divine grace in this age as God has offered to the great saints, martyrs, and prophets who have faced deep suffering through the ages. The good news is that you ca