Janet Prahl has lived in East County her entire life. She attended grammar school, graduated from Helix High School, and then moved on to SDSU.
Her husband Bob and she purchased their home in 1982 and raised their daughter there. After her husband’s death, Prahl began journaling her experience, eventually leading to her publishing her book this year “Thought Away from Tears: A Love Story and My Pathway through Grief.” This book contains Prahl’s pathway through grief and shows how her actions worked for her.
“There are no rules, no right or wrong way to work through the grief. There is just each person’s way. I wrote my book to help guide those who struggle to understand the feelings and emotions that accompany grief, to provide hope and to perhaps ease the pain,” she said.
Prahl said her husband died six years ago in January, and she started journaling because she wanted to understand all the emotions and feeling she was experiencing.
“Coincidently, at the same time, I was meeting with widows and widowers who were going through a similar process. One of my friends told me that I really helped her a lot and that I should write a book. I thought if I could help other people, I would be really glad. I wrote it with the hope that it would help them through the process, make it easier for them, and offer them suggestions for their journey,” she said.
With Prahl’s background in marketing, advertising, and public relations, she knew that she could write this book.
Prahl was married for 38 years, together 40 years, and he was the love of her life.
“We met at SDSU. But he did not ask me out until 17 years later. He was an attorney and practiced here locally. He practiced up to a month before he died,” she said.
“What I say to people, and I think is very important, is that it is awful at first. It is awful all the time, but then something happy happens in your life. Then you realize if you look at things that make you happy, they will start to happen more frequently. Then you will start to come out of your deep, deep pain,” she said.
Prahl said in the books she talks about finding activities that bring you joy, living in the present, not dwelling on the past, and not worrying about the future.
“Going out with friends. Trying to wake up each morning with a good attitude. Having hope and gratitude. I go into how faith helped me. Learning how to accept my situation and learning how to live with it. And, moving on with my life one day at a time, and one step at a time,” she said.
Prahl’s book is available on Amazon and Thriftbooks.com.
