No One Cries the Wrong Way: Seeing God Through Tears

Rating:
Summary: No One Cries the Wrong Way
Review: I've lost count of the number of copies of "No One Cries the Wrong Way" that I have handed on. I have given the book to people who have just lost a loved one, but I've given it also to those who are dealing with other losses. And it works. Father Joe's words are far-reaching, and he writes with such warmth and obvious love-both for God and for the rest of us-that he touches the heart. Although he centers on death as being the most devastating and universal experience, he does touch on other losses.

Father Joe writes that we-who we are, how we live-are totally intertwined with God. He relates our reactions to His love-that what we do is always a reaction to how we perceive God's love. We each will grieve, no one in the same way as another, and Father Joe teaches us that our grieving is our response.

The book is also practical. Father Joe not only gives us a lot to think about, he lays out concrete rituals that can help both individuals and groups, whether children, young adults or adults. In teaching, I've learned that ritual is important, as it physically ties us to our spiritual journey. I've used several of these rituals in my classes, and the response from the children is often relief, because the prayer services give them a context to voice their feelings, as well as permission to cry out, to ask why, and just to cry.

Rating:
Summary: No One Cries the Wrong Way
Review: I've lost count of the number of copies of "No One Cries the Wrong Way" that I have handed on. I have given the book to people who have just lost a loved one, but I've given it also to those who are dealing with other losses. And it works. Father Joe's words are far-reaching, and he writes with such warmth and obvious love-both for God and for the rest of us-that he touches the heart. Although he centers on death as being the most devastating and universal experience, he does touch on other losses.

Father Joe writes that we-who we are, how we live-are totally intertwined with God. He relates our reactions to His love-that what we do is always a reaction to how we perceive God's love. We each will grieve, no one in the same way as another, and Father Joe teaches us that our grieving is our response.

The book is also practical. Father Joe not only gives us a lot to think about, he lays out concrete rituals that can help both individuals and groups, whether children, young adults or adults. In teaching, I've learned that ritual is important, as it physically ties us to our spiritual journey. I've used several of these rituals in my classes, and the response from the children is often relief, because the prayer services give them a context to voice their feelings, as well as permission to cry out, to ask why, and just to cry.