Preston's Charm
A Charm-ing, Healthy and Empathetic Approach to Grief
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Frustrated that conventional therapy and methods weren’t working to manage the grief of losing her son, Preston Bailey Hancock, Bridget Bailey took matters into her own hands. Preston passed away after being hit head-on in his car by a wrong way driver.
After Bridget realized that being angry, drinking alcohol to numb the pain and her toxic behavior was destroying relationships with her family, friends and neighbors, she turned to her crafting skills to cope with Preston’s death. In doing so, she discovered an unconventional way to manage grief in a healthier and more productive way. One that kept Preston’s spirit and memory alive and more importantly inspired people to practice empathy for Preston, Bridget and her family.
In 2019, she designed a piece of jewelry and attached it to a business size card with Preston’s photo, a poem, instruction on what to do when a person receives or finds Preston’s Charm and Bridget’s email address. She named it Preston’s Charm and made over 1,000. With the help of her husband, Bill and Preston’s surviving brothers, they gave Preston’s Charm to friends and also left one in places they visited during their hikes, motorcycle rides, and vacations.
In the last four years, while the passing of Preston’s Charm has helped Bridget and her family it has also helped people who received or found Preston’s Charm manage the grief of losing a Loved One in a healthier and productive way.
Preston’s Charm has been passed from person to person and traveled to every state in America, 16 countries, 4 islands and on several cruise ships. Some of the people who participated in the passing of Preston’s Charm share their stories in this book.
If you are tired of the way our culture expects people to manage grief in the same way they have for hundreds of years, grieving the traditional way in which each day is filled with sadness, pain, and despair 24/7, and would you like to find a better, healthier, and more productive way to grieve that includes moments of happiness, relief, peace, and hope, then this book is for you.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Bridget Bagley, a mother struggling with the grief of losing her son, Preston, who died after a head-on collision, creates a piece of jewelry the size of a business card to manage her grief healthily and productively and keep Preston’s spirit and legacy alive.
Bridget made 1,500 of Preston’s Charms and passed them to people or left them in places for people to find them. The people who received or found Preston’s Charm passed it from one person to another. Since Preston’s Charm debut in 2019, it has traveled and been found in every state in the USA, 15 different countries, and 4 islands.
In this book you’ll discover the spiritual power of Preston’s Charm and how it helped Bridget come to terms with Preston’s death and move forward with her life and also how Preston’s Charm inspired people, who received or found it, to practice empathy for Preston and Bridget and how it also helped them manage the grief of losing their Loved One more healthily and productively and move forward with their life.
About the Author
Hogan Hilling is an author of 13 published books and the co-owner of Preston’s Charm Grief Kit. (www.prestonscharm.com.) Hilling was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2001 and appeared in ABC’s The Story of Fathers and Sons Documentary in 1999. His story as a fatherhood advocate has been published in major newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Christian Science Monitor. His son, Wesley Jordan Hilling passed away on December 18, 2022.
Bridget Jill White Bagley is co-owner of Preston’s Charm Grief Kit. (www.prestonscharm.com.) She was born in Brawley California. Her family moved to Arizona when she was in kindergarten. She works at a mini storage business and is a member of the Winslow Elks Lodge #536 in Winslow, Arizona. Bridget lives with her husband Bill Bagley, whom she married in 2012. Bridget and Bill have a blended family that includes 9 children and 9 grandkids. Her son, Preston Bailey Hancock, passed away on August 28, 2018.