Our lives are filled
with loss, pain, memory and hope. Beuchner writes poignantly about
each of these emotions in his life.
Perhaps the hardest
part to read is the first chapters on pain. Beuchner’s father
committed suicide when Frederick was a young boy. For many years he
couldn’t grieve, pushing the memory down. Because the memory was
pushed down so hard it haunted him until finally he was able to talk
about it. Now he writes beautifully about it. If you’ve lost
someone under difficult circumstances, his story will resonate with
you.
The other painful
story is of his daughter’s struggle with anorexia and his
difficultly coping with it. He recalls a friend coming to sit with
him during this trying time. It reminds us how sometimes just being
there for someone is enough.
At the end of the
book Beuchner focuses on memory and what comes next. He conjures up
memories of his grandmother. Although she has been dead for many
years he feels close to her and has wonderful imaginative dialogues
about the meaning of life and remembering.
If you struggle with
loss, this is a good book. I particularly enjoyed the section of
reflections at the end, short musings that give you something to
meditate on.
I received this book
from Handlebar Publishing for this review.
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