Books as Compass: 10 Essential Reads for Navigating Grief
These authors transform grief into a shared experience
My father passed away at home while I was in university. I could only return home after he had left for his final journey. The loss of my father profoundly changed me; his protracted battle with illness and trauma subconsciously made me realize the fragility of life.
A few years later, I experienced the loss of my maternal grandmother. Once again, I was away from my home in another city. I later learned that she had asked for me in her last moments.
Fortunately, I was present when my mother passed away a few years later, but unfortunately, not close enough to bid her farewell in her final moments.
The losses of my parents and grandmother have left distinct scars on my mind. I continue to grieve for them years later. Grief feels like unfinished business to me, the same as my enduring love for them.
Each personal narrative takes on a unique shape in a different world because every loss is individual. Nevertheless, a few constants appear in almost every grief: unexpectedness and its multifaceted character, encompassing melancholy, trauma, and other forms that manifest in our day-to-day lives.
