'Winning Through a Loss' aims to help others deal with grief

Thursday, May 29, 2014

In June 2006, 26-year-old Kari Faulstich, was using a tractor to pull a stump from the ground when things went terribly wrong.

The logging chain tightened as the tractor accelerated in an attempt to pull the stubborn stump from the earth, causing the tractor to flip over backward, pinning her underneath the farming equipment.

She did not survive the injuries and the incident sent her husband Jason Faulstich down a path of grief, support and hope that forever changed his outlook on the world.

"When you experience something like that, it opens your eyes," Faulstich said.

Seeking information and personal stories to help him survive the irrevocable emotional shift of the accident left Faulstich reeling for the kind of advice he sought.

The gap has since led Faulstich to pen "Winning Through a Loss," a book addressing grief and faith to help others dealing with the unexpected loss of someone close; the book Faulstich wishes he could have found in 2006.

"At that time I was really looking for some way to ease my pain, I did that a lot through prayer and also reading grief books," Faulstich explained.

Kari and Jason had just moved to Greencastle with their one-year-old son and six-year-old daughter at the time of the accident.

The family knew nobody in the community at the time, a fact that compounded the generosity of the assistance offered by strangers after the event.

Jason Faulstich

Church members mowed his lawn that summer, provided meals for his family and helped organize a collection for a gift of condolence.

An excavator came out to the property to do some work, then refused to charge him.

The incident and the writing of the book has reinforced his faith in God and helped to shed light on just how easy it is to get wrapped up in material aspects that always seem less important in retrospect.

"Before, I was in debt to my eyeballs because I wanted this car, that house, spending money I didn't have to bring me happiness when it was right there in front of me," Faulstich said. "Important things are things anybody can have if they just realize they are there for the taking."

"Winning Through a Loss" was published in December 2013 and the experience has drawn Faulstich back into his love of writing.

Throughout the emotional toll of the experience, Faulstich continues to espouse the formative powers of healing, faith and hope.

"I've learned what's important, and what's not," he emphasized.

Having completed the book, which was inspired by such a pivotal moment of loss, Faulstich has set his sights on lighter material for his next project. His next book will be a fictional humorous adventure story intended for the whole family. It is due to be published some time in autumn.

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  • Best of luck to you and your children. I will certainly buy these books!

    -- Posted by chicki1112 on Fri, May 30, 2014, at 9:51 AM
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