Learning from Grief Is Learning to Live
Learning from Grief is a combination of lessons learned and a personal journal about bereavement. Author Wendy Mulder, whose life was much busier than any life ought to be, took on the task--with two other friends (Cathie and Tina)--of helping a third (Emmie) through the loss of her husband. Mulder was also rocked by the loss and still missed her sister who had died from a brain tumor years before. Tina was mourning the death of her friend and son’s father, and Tina had lost her parents and a number of others close to her.
The four women made time to meet regularly and share their grief journeys. Learning from Grief is a collection of Mulder’s observations, poetry, and experiences as they traveled this path together. The most important lesson Mulder learned was that bereavement is not one-size-fits-all. Each person grieves for as long as it takes, in the manner that is right for him or her. There are no prescriptions for grief recovery. Learning to live with loss often becomes a process of rediscovering one’s self, Mulder tells us.
Mulder discusses a variety of healing exercises, such as the stone ceremony, colored ribbon therapy, and writing. Her final conclusion, one that is accepted by most bereavement counselors and therapists is “there is no right or wrong way to grieve or any manual on how to do it,” and Learning from Grief is true to that conclusion; it doesn’t tell the reader how to grieve but offers suggestions that may help one get through the process. (Those interested in purchasing Learning from Grief may do so via e-mail.)
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