MINNEAPOLIS — Katie Stifter is happier than she has been in a while.
"We are surviving. We are everyday trying to find happy moments to be grateful for," said Stifter.
She recent got remarried, and has a new book out, called "The Funny Thing about Grief." It's a book that talks about how humor and laughter have helped her get through a difficult time.
"This is just the style that works best for me because it's part of who I am so tapping into who are you and what makes you tick really will help I think deal with grief if your own way," said Stifter.
It has been a tough few years for Stifter and her three children. In late 2016, Katie's then-husband Andy went on a paddleboard on Lake Waconia and never returned home. The search gained local media attention. A fisherman found Andy's body in the water three weeks later. Stifter writes about the horror of those three weeks Andy was missing, and grieving the loss, in her book.
"There were many times where I was laying on the bathroom floor crying and just having terrible moments or days. It still happens to me, but when you learn what works for you then you can tap into those things and maybe those feelings won't last the whole day," said Stifter.
Stifter's new book is part of her quest to help others going through loss. She wants people to know that you can find joy again in life.
"That's all I ever wanted to do is help others so they don't feel alone in their grief. We all are going to lose somebody in our life and we should be talking about it and process it so it doesn't feel so unusual when we are experiencing it," she said.
Stifter still feels pain and loss, but she is proof that through it all, you can find happiness again.
"You have to grieve in your own way, you have to live in your trauma in what makes you feel most comfortable, but also know that things can get better, but you have to take steps. They can be really small steps, meaning let your mom babysit while you go out with a friend, or you know, try something new," she said.
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