The Year of Firsts

Full description

The first birthday without them. Their birthday. Mother's or Father's Day. The first vacation, the first back-to-school, the first Christmas. After a death, the first year is full of "firsts" that arrive without warning and hit hard. The Year of Firsts is a 107-page grief planner to get through those 12 months by preparing for them, instead of just enduring them.

You cannot stop these dates from coming. But you can decide how you want to live them.

What you will find inside

• Guide: why the first year is so particular, and a page to spot all your firsts ahead of time (important dates, holidays, traditions, places)
• 12 guided months: for each month, a "This month, I prepare" page to plan the hard moments ahead, 4 weekly pages (one per week, 52 in all) to note how you are and what helps, "My month in colors" to see your mood at a glance, a monthly review and a monthly letter to the person you miss
• Tracker: a yearly mood and energy tracker, and a page to take care of yourself with concrete ideas
• One year: a "A year without you" page and a "One year later" page to measure, gently, how far you have come

Who this planner is for

For you who lost a parent, a spouse, a child, a sister, a brother or a friend in recent months. For you who feel anxiety rising as an important date approaches. For you who like having a plan, landmarks and structure when everything falls apart. It is also a useful and lasting gift to offer a few weeks after a funeral, when people around begin to step back.

How to use it

Start with the "My firsts" page and note every date coming up this year. At the start of each month, fill in "This month, I prepare" to decide ahead of time how you want to live the harder moments. Each week, take five minutes for your weekly page. At the end of the month, color your month, do your review and write your letter. You can start in any month of the year: the pages are undated.

What you receive

• 2 PDF files: the English version and the French version (107 pages each)
• Clickable contents and side tabs on every page to jump between sections in one second
• A "Contents" link at the bottom of every page
• US Letter pages (8.5 × 11 in), easy to print at home or at a print shop
• A soft, simple design made for writing with a stylus just like by hand

The journal works with GoodNotes, Notability, Noteshelf, Xodo and most apps that open PDFs, on iPad, Android tablets or a computer. You can also open it on your phone to read your pages. Nothing is shipped: you get your download link by email right after purchase, and your journals stay in your account if you create one.

Good to know

This journal is a writing and reflection tool. It does not replace help from a health or mental health professional. If your grief becomes too heavy, if you can no longer function day to day, or if you have thoughts of hurting yourself, please reach out right away: in Canada and the United States you can call or text 988, day and night. In an emergency, dial 911.

Because this is a digital product, all sales are final. Please read the description carefully before buying, and write to us if you have any question: we are happy to help.