The wild edge of sorrow

A couple of months ago I asked my Facebook friends for any recommendations for inspiring books on grief, this one ‘The Wild Edge of Sorrow’ by Francis Weller was suggested a few times, so I bought it.
I am so pleased that I did.
This is an extraordinary book which spoke directly to me. Using beautiful poetic language it is a comprehensive guide for conscious grieving and insights into the nature of loss, including separation from community and nature and the importance of ritual.
It is the first time that I have ever felt inspired to write my own book summary just for myself to re-read some of the rich prose. 

Here are a few words from the book that I connected with :-

Sorrow is a sustained note in the song of being alive.

There is some intimacy between grief and aliveness, some sacred exchange between what seems unbearable and what is most exquisitely alive.

“Psychological moralism” places enormous pressure on us to always be improving, feeling good, and rising above our problems. Happiness has become the new Mecca. This forces sorrow, pain, fear, weakness, and vulnerability into the underworld, where they fester and mutate into contorted expressions of themselves, often coated in a mantel of shame.

Silence and solitude invite us to pause, slow down and stop. We live in a highly extroverted culture in which everything is expressed and exposed. “ We are addicted to disclosure” and need to learn the skills of restraint, of holding close to the heart what needs our utmost attention.

It takes outrageous courage to face outrageous loss.

written by Annie x