Waving Goodbye: Life After Loss

by Warren Kozak

To those around me—my friends, my colleagues, even my daughter—I appear normal, but in one very fundamental way, I am not.

The old me left with my wife. I’m not sure who this new person is—I am still evolving. But I will tell you this with absolute I am not the same person I was before my wife died on January 1, 2018.

For anyone struggling with the loss of a spouse—anyone whose world has been turned upside down in a way they’ve never encountered before—here is something that could help. Waving Goodbye is a candid, honest, and approachable guide to dealing with the death of a spouse written by a very ordinary guy who has lived through the ordeal.

Warren Kozak doesn’t just tell you that time heals all wounds; he explains how the passage of time actually helped. Despite the shattering heartbreak and insurmountable grief, Kozak shares what worked, what didn’t, and the insights he learned along the way to help anyone who has suffered this kind of loss.

Genres: Nonfiction

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 9, 2024

Reviews

[Lorraine Fagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living with loneliness and grieving

3 months since I lost my husband. The loneliness is profound. I am in an incredibly foreign place. Nothing is the same, and yet everything is moving forward as if I weren’t part of it. Warren has made the daily living a bit easier and I sincerely thank him.

[Wisconsin Alumni]

Warren Kozak ’73
Author

From the author:
Following the death of my wife on January 1, 2018, friends brought me books to read they thought might help. Unfortunately, most did not because they were authored by psychologists, grief counselors, and most were written in a very academic style. The brain just doesn't function well after an event like that. You lose your focus and concentration.

Five years later, I decided to put together a short, clear book explaining what happened, what worked for me .... and what didn't work. I could not have done this in the first year or even second year. But five years on, I've gained some perspective and received invaluable messages and emails from others that I wanted to share.

Widows and widowers make up 6 percent of the U.S. population, and that number will grow substantially in the coming decade, as the Baby Boomers take their leave. My purpose here is to help others who find themselves in this very new and uncharted terrain ... like I did.

And there is good news: Life does get better. I would not have believed this early on. The loss never goes away, but one learns to live with it, and one can even find joy and happiness in routine daily life.

Thank you,
Warren

[Peter W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Mr. Kodak

Your book brings me hope and joy as I face life without my beloved husband of 57 years. The last 6 weeks since his death have been a painful blur of necessary paperwork and silence. Your experiences have helped me deal with both the immediate solemnity and ridiculousness of death ( oh, the paperwork) and hope for the future.

[Pamela E. Slye · Rating 5 out of 5]

not for new widows or widowers

Although a Great book and so close to my heart. This book is for the person who has come out of the “fog”after loosing their best friend, soulmate, spouse or parent and may be looking for answers.

[harvey goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guide for greiving

Heartfelt description of one mans loss, how the world around him treated him and his daughter, and how they dealt with their loss.