Episode 556: Of Grief, Garlic and Gratitude: Finding Hope and Joy from a Shattered Life

12-9-19 Host, Answers for the Family host, Allen Cardoza, interviews Kris Francoeur http://answersforthefamily.comWhen your life is shattered in an instant, can conscious and deliberate gratitude and connection to nature help you find joy and hope again?Of Grief, Garlic and Gratitude follows the first thirty months after Sam Francoeur’s death from an accidental opiate (prescription) overdose. His mother, Kris Francoeur, shares her journey from the first crushing days to her eventually being able to find light, joy, and hope again through the practices of conscious and deliberate gratitude, unconditional acceptance of others, and making strong connections to the natural world. Her story helps to grieve families feel that hope and joy will return, no matter how devastating and permanent loss.Of Grief, Garlic and Gratitude approaches grief with both a very clear understanding of the realities of the process and also shares a very personal and honest account of living with grief. It presents healing and hope without relying on religion, formal psychotherapy, or pharmaceutical resources. Kris’s story reminds readers that even as people struggle with mental health issues and addiction, they can still bring joy and love to the world, and everyone is worthy of love and acceptance.ABOUT KRIS FRANCOEURKris Francoeur, writer, and educator, is a grieving mother who has found joy and light again through the practices of conscious and deliberate gratitude, unconditional acceptance and connection with nature. With Master’s degrees in both Counseling Psychology and Educational Leadership, Kris writes with authority about grief and moving forward in our very busy and stressful world.A published author of fiction, Kris has published three romance novels (More Than I Can Say, That One Small Omission and The Phone Call) with Solstice Publishing using her pen name Anna Belle Rose. Kris lives in beautiful Addison County, Vermont with her husband and youngest son, a small herd of alpacas, a flock of chickens and several hives of bees. Kris loves to spend time with her family (including an older son, daughter, and grandchildren), sp