Grief Exposed: Giving a Voice to the Unspeakable (Paperback)

The topic of this book is not one anyone wants to go through but I found it very honest and helpful. The author rips the bandaid off the cliches of grief and exposes the hard truth we face as we enter this heart wrenching phase in our life. If you ask around I'm sure someone you know or even yourself has experienced a loss of a loved one. For me it was my brother who passed away three years ago. The pain is still there and I have days where I miss him so much it hurts. Grief has no time limit and we each grief differently. This book is one man's journey and I appreciated how transparent he was in describing the journey he took on grieving the loss of a son. Many people think they are helping when they say, “It will get better,” or God didn't do this, He simply allowed it.” In the middle of grieving what I found I needed the most was someone to listen to me, allow me to share my pain and hug me. The author shares the struggles he faced everyday as he walked around numb. I can relate to him thinking how life was normal for everyone around him, yet he was breaking inside. People tell you to make sure you take care of yourself, but there are times when you just need to be alone. The book is one that I found shared real emotions and a man who walked everyday not knowing if he was going to cry, be angry or find comfort. His cries out to God are genuine and helped him release some of the pain he felt losing his son. I stopped when I read this in the book. “I wish people would stop saying they're praying for me.” Because I know they're not.” How many times have you said to someone, “I'm praying for you,” but then went about your day. God forgive me when I said those words to someone and then didn't pray. I understand how important prayer is and I don't want it to be a phrase I say. I want to stop what I'm doing and pray for that person when they ask. I have learned a lot reading this book and am glad I had a chance to review it. It taught me that there are things not to say to someone grieving and I'm sorry to those who found my words insensitive or judgmental. I have this new sense of grace when it comes to grieving. “I trust that you believe now that your grief is not a curse. Nor is it a blessing. It is simply where you meet God.” I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.