Alchemy of Grief: Your Journey to Wholeness

by Nancy Loeffler, Cyn MacGregor (Cover), Sheila A. Foster (Foreword)

When a catastrophic event happens, your life changes in an instant. It may take some time for you to arrive in your new reality. Your life can take on a surreal quality. You may be in shock; you may feel like you are living in a haze, everything around you seems distorted. You may be unable to concentrate on anything; everything may be hyper clear, or moving in slow motion. Your thoughts can explode in a millions directions. There is a fracture in your life. You don't know how you are going to fix the fracture. You want to fix it, and you remember yet again that nothing will ever be the same again. It is the space between the way things were yesterday and the land you are forced to move to without wanting to move there. The suddenness of this fracture may mean that it will take some time for you to catch up with all the changes, both energetically and physically.

I didn't know it at the time--I certainly didn't know it on that day-- but the loss of somebody that you love, and living with that loss, is exactly like crossing the border to a new, unfamiliar country. The language is nebulous and the ground unrecognizable. My grief journey was an invitation to live in a new country, one to which I had never wanted to move. The land I left behind is different than the land that I was forced to enter. On that day, as I was transported to the hospital, I crossed from one county to another. I didn't know I was living a metaphor; it was just a day unfolding like any other. You may be in the midst of crossing that border right now. If you are, I hope this book will be useful to you as you become acquainted with your new landscape.

One of the best ways to use this book is to buy a journal, and to let it keep you company as you read. At the end of each chapter there will be a list of things to try and questions for you to answer. Your journal is a place where you can record your thoughts and track your progress. It can be your companion on your own unique journey.

152 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2016

Reviews

[Louanne Caspar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working through grief is one of the toughest challenges one can endure during a lifetime. One of my primary goals with my blog is to provide grief resources for my readers along the way in addition to other practical information related to organizing an estate.

I love to read books and often categorize them into two broad categories- those books I read only once and can be borrowed from the town library and ones I like to purchase as a resource to read over and over again. The Alchemy of Grief by Nancy Loeffler falls into the latter category. The book emerged from the loss of her own daughter Leah, who died tragically in a car accident at the age of 17. The author recounts her own grief journey in the wake of this loss.

Mortality is one common connection we all share as humans and nearly everyone I meet in my work is grieving the loss of someone close to them. Yet The Alchemy of Grief moves beyond the role of grief in response to death to other losses we may experience. Examples include death of a pet, job loss, divorce, loss of a personal dream. Everyone can benefit from learning how to respond to grief in ways that do not prolong, intensify, or dismiss the pain. The book serves as a universal balm in helping us heal from all different forms of loss.

The book is divided into several chapters starting with a personal entry from Loeffler’s journal, a chapter topic, personal exercises, and a journal prompt. Using this format, the reader receives a great tool for personal growth to predict patterns of personal and behavioral reactions when confronted with any form of loss. The ideas presented in this thin, readable book are fascinating and they function as a powerful tool with which to understand one’s own personal reactions and to cultivate a more meaningful life.

I experienced more insights while reading this book than I have had in a very long time. I am sure future readers will as well.

To learn more about Nancy Loeffler, visit her website at www.beingwithgrief.com. To buy The Alchemy of Grief, visit Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh or purchase through Amazon.

[Cyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! Should be on everyone's bookshelf.