“These words come from a heart that has been broken, felt the pain and loss of the most important person in my life, and also found hope in the midst of the grief.”

Elaine Sturtz shares in Living in the Different that grief is messy, hard, painful, filled with tears and loneliness, but it also includes faith, hope and love. She walks through the journey, the emotions, the changes and hurts. Each grief is different, and grief changes our lives. We are different, and how we live and interact with others is different. The journey of grief takes different forms as we learn to live and mingle joy and sorrow together. Elaine offers hope—a hope of hope—through these passages of sorrow and loss. Hope is found in our faith in God who is love, and love never ends. As you read these words, may God bring comfort and guidance and give you hope.

“In Living In The Different, Reverend Sturtz sets us free to live, grieve, die and live again by pouring into us out of her experience, both deep and wide, as person, pastor, chaplain and friend. She offers what she knows in her head and heart with transparency and vulnerability.”
— Bishop Gregory V. Palmer Resident Bishop of the West Ohio Conference The United Methodist Church
“After nearly fifty years as a Funeral Director and reading all I could to help families in their grief journey, Rev. Elaine Sturtz’ own personal journey in and through grief is a must read for every funeral director, hospice worker, physician and clergy person and especially for those suffering the death of a loved one.  As she walks with you through her own grief, the death of her husband, her parents and friends, she will provide you with guidance, strength and understanding of the grief process, but most especially “Hope” through the scriptures.  Every person who reads Living in the Different, will be blessed by Rev. Sturtz’ understanding and writings about this very complex thing called Grief.  It has surely been a comfort and blessing to me.”
— Dwayne R. Spence, CFSP Past President, Ohio Funeral Directors Assn. Past President, National Funeral Directors Assn.
“Living In The Different is a very real and raw look at how life changes when we lose those we love. Thank you Rev. Elaine Sturtz for sharing your heart, your priceless experiences and your educated views on living, death, loss and survival of all of these journeys.
We are all going to lose loved ones at some point in our life-although it is never easy - life goes on even when we want it to wait on us to catch up. Having been in hospice leadership for over 15 years of my career, every death experience is different and personal for someone who loves that person! Living In The Different is a beautifully written book of experiences and advice that will benefit so many as they go through the journey of life and loss. It also does a brilliant job of reminding all of us of the Hope of a Hope!!!”
— Holly Franko President, LHC Group Hospice Division
“Living In The Different is an insightful must read of comfort and support for individuals seeking assistance through the difficult process of loss of a loved one. Rev. Elaine Sturtz has written an incredibly insightful guide through grief, based upon her decades of experience. As a Methodist Minister, Hospice Chaplain, and Grief Counselor, she shares her years of professional insights of the grieving process with the reader. Losing her own beloved husband, Rev. Sturtz shares her personal challenges of her own path to healing the hole in her heart and continuing to live her life without him by her side. This book is an honest and straightforward account based upon Rev. Sturtz’s knowledgeable understanding of grief, recovery and living. ”
— Mary L. Taylor RN, LNHA, Esquire

Cover design by Steven Fisher, MFA