Roeder also learned the importance of forgiveness, saying it is a gift from God.
"He gave it to us from the cross. What are we to hold against anyone or any institution if we ourselves are sinners? We've been given the greatest gift on the cross. And we are to share that, as his children."
While forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean trusting a particular person or situation again, she said, "we have to forgive with our hearts, with our whole being."
Roeder's book tells her experience across several chapters divided by reflections on the Seven Sorrows of Mary. She said she did this to honor the Virgin Mary as her "role model" who helped her grieve.
She hopes the book's sections on the Seven Sorrows will highlight the connection between "the suffering Our Lady had" and "the suffering of our everyday life."
She also had advice for friends and family members of those who are grieving.
"Being with them in their presence is the greatest gift that you can give to someone," she said. Having a cup of coffee or taking a walk with those who are grieving can help them through their grief.
Friends and family should tell the bereaved that they will see their loved ones again, she said.
"They live here, in our hearts," she said. "Our eternal existence doesn't end," she added, repeating her book's title "It Doesn't End Here."
Kevin J. Jones is a senior staff writer with Catholic News Agency. He was a recipient of a 2014 Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship.