My interest was piqued by the title of this discussion, "How Do I Grieve an Estranged Family Member." All grief is tough, but this is especially so, as there is generally a lot of unfinished business in a relationship with an estranged family member or friend. Even if the individual was not estranged but suffered perhaps from mental health issues and was not easy to relate to, the way through this type of grief is difficult. There is no doubt about it!

I did find some good thoughts in a book written by David Kessler (he co-authored a book with Elizabeth Kubler-Ross). In Kessler's book, The Sixth Stage of Grief, he has a chapter titled, Complicated Relationships, (chapter 8). He discusses Finishing Our Unfinished Business; Forgiving; and a section about the Stakes are Higher in Grief. While it doesn't offer any easy way through this type of grief, it does offer ideas and most importantly, a helpful perspective.

The book was available at a public library near me. If you want some fresh ideas on dealing with this type of grief, I highly recommend it.