Five recommended books for the grieving soul
I mourn and celebrate Sele Eradiri and Mallam Yusuf Jibo. My heart goes out to all those who are grieving in the land. This week, I present you with some of the books that have given me comfort when I have been bereaved. I hope they speak to you. 1. The Holy Books. There is […]
I mourn and celebrate Sele Eradiri and Mallam Yusuf Jibo. My heart goes out to all those who are grieving in the land. This week, I present you with some of the books that have given me comfort when I have been bereaved. I hope they speak to you.
1. The Holy Books. There is nothing like spiritual guidance when one is bereaved. This is where you understand your purpose in life and truly experience peace in the aftermath of the death of a loved one. The Holy books steady you and encourage you to be more introspective. It also helps you to put your life in perspective. Read the Holy books whatever your faith and you would find solace in the beautiful words buried therein and new meaning to otherwise familiar passages. You will also find consolation in the fact that there is the promise of a better hereafter and judgement too. Most faiths encourage you to appeal on their behalf and ask forgiveness of their sins. The faithful are also encouraged to immortalise them, a foundation, a borehole, scholarships etcetera as these would serve as a reminder and would continue to speak for them in the hereafter.
2. Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul by Jack Canfield and Victor Hansen.
People were speaking but I could not hear them. I was his little girl and even though I already had a family of my own, I grieved my Dad like I was seven years old again. I was close to the men of the cloth in my church. I know what my Bible says about where our loved ones go but we are human and we grieve nonetheless. It’s our support system, our faith, our family members that hold us up. Grief can lead to depression and depression comes from extreme sadness. We are not all wired the same way. This book was special in helping me to manage my loss. It is a collection of stories that are sometimes sad, sometimes funny, packed with lessons by people who are grieving and incredible tales of how their loss has translated into beauty, hope, restoration and peace. It’s a beautiful book.
3. Paula by Isabel Allende. The Chilean writer, Allende in her most heart rending book. This is an autobiographical book written for Allende’s 28 year old daughter, Paula, as she lay in a coma. Her mother seating beside her daily and knowing her daughter’s illness was terminal wrote this book for her. It opens with, “Listen Paula, I am going to tell you a story so that when you wake up, you will not feel so lost.” A story of her family for her unconscious daughter, a monologue of sorts. It’s a very powerful book. Indeed the loss of a child is the hardest cut of all.
4. Women of Courage written by Katherine Martin is a collection of inspiring stories by women who lived them. It contains stories of courage and strength, stories of love and healing. It contains the touching story of Dana Reeves, wife of Christopher Reeves famous for playing the role of Superman. Christopher was left immobile from the shoulders down when he was thrown by a horse and broke his neck. It’s a story of triumph over disability. The other beautiful stories in the book are great for healing when you are bereaved. It shows the power of the human spirit.
5 The Prophet by Lebanese American Poet, Khalil Gibran. These are poems that reach out and touch your soul. They speak to your grief, to you and to life. They offer you wisdom and love; they offer you truth and uplifting words. I bought the copy I have from someone hawking books. It’s one of my best purchases and it was not expensive but the lessons in it is worth its weight in gold. Get yourself a copy. It’s a great companion
BONUS BOOKS
When you are bereaved, think of the fond memories of the person you lost. Look back and be grateful for your time together. Pick up other light hearted books that will make you smile and sometimes laugh out loud in the middle of your tears. Your healing will come as sure as the sun shines. It is hard but you will smile again. Pick up biographies; see how other people dealt with pain, with betrayal and how they triumphed. Read inspirational books and a lot of interesting magazines. My favourite is Vanity Fair and some Nigerian lifestyle magazines like Genevieve and TW. Short stories are also very useful at this time. Try Chimamanda Adichie’s The Thing around your Neck.
Other recommendations are Are you Old Enough to Read this Book? Reflections on mid-life. It is by different writers but the essays are hilarious, wise and thoughtful. Get a copy of cartoons you used to enjoy, Tin Tin, Asterix, Snoopy.
A final one, Ox Travels is a collection of stories on meetings, written by travel writers, who were commissioned by Oxfam for charity. A gem of a book.