Love, Loss, and Awakening: (Mis)adventures on the Way Back to Joy

The death of a loved one is devastating, and can leave us questioning our new path. Will I ever want to find love again, and if so, how do I find it? What is appropriate behavior for a fifty-four-year-old widowed senior? Should I explore dating sites? Meet women in bars? Rely on introductions from friends? The questions far outnumber the answers.

Dennis and Hope Freed had a fulfilling marriage. Over the course of thirty-two years they built a home, created a loving family, and shared all their dreams with one another and their two sons. Then Hope got cancer. She fought a long, brave battle, but it was one she couldn't win. Dennis Freed's beloved wife and best-trusted friend had gone, leaving him alone to figure out a future he'd never imagined.

As he sorted through what society expected of a long-term caregiver and widower, Dennis eventually emerged from mourning, his heart ready for life's next chapter. Nervously, he began to go out with women again, and endured all the awkward--and hilarious--embarrassments a man who hadn't been on a date in decades might expect. He kept on trying, embracing and trusting the process. Love, Loss, and Awakening chronicles a courageous and uplifting journey through sorrow, the search for new love, and the rediscovery of happiness.

DENNIS P. FREED is a native of Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Oceanside, Long Island, where he later raised his family. He earned a BS in Civil Engineering at the University of Rhode Island. After a stint as a structural engineer, he entered the Construction Management and Development profession in NYC where he has led teams to construct and develop over sixty-five buildings. Also an associate professor at Pratt University in New York, he teaches Construction Management to architecture students. When he's not writing, Dennis enjoys playing ice hockey, hiking, skiing, scuba diving, and building model railroads.