How to move on after a major loss, such as the death of a loved one, the end of a career, or a health crisis.
After author Melody Beattie's son died, she found herself welcomed into new "club," a circle of people who had lived through the tragic loss of a child. This was not the first club in which she unwittingly found herself. Years earlier she found herself in Twelve Step groups, first balking, then later embracing the healing principles that she now credits with saving her life. But life, Ms. Beattie writes, is all about change. Not only do loved ones die, but once successful careers can careen out of control and debilitating diseases can rob you of future plans. Smaller losses can take a toll as well. The natural process of aging leaves many people with a depleted sense of worth, and staying abreast with current technologies leaves many people feeling ill-informed and inadequate.
She writes, "There's a secret to get through loss, pain and grief. If we're alone we can't see who we are. When we join the club, other people become the mirror. Through them, we see ourselves and gain an understanding of what we're going through. Then slowly, real slowly, we learn to accept who we see in the mirror. Then you become the mirror for them; by being honest about who you are, you'll help them learn to love and accept themselves."
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
A Well Written Book:
Melody Beattie is at her best in "The Grief Club." She used losing her son as a basis for writing this book. The stories are all very unique within themselves and offer much to the reader. As a person who is going through the grieving process right now, I didn't find this book difficult to read through. I found it comforting, though one doesn't have to be grieving to enjoy or get something out of this book. I would recommend this book to anyone and there is always something to be said about someone who uses... more info
Restoration Resource - Can't Recommend this Enough:
I was walking through my local bookstore when my eyes caught sight of this book. The title drew me in, as I am grieving the death of my brother. I saw the author and thought, "Oh, no - not that Codependency woman..." Melody Beattie - who was the first author I ever knew to use the term "Co-Dependent" a term that had come for many to mean "whiney person who thinks of himself/herself as a victim of everyone and everything." I decided I would give it a "cup of coffee" dry run, to see if my assessment... more info
Welcome to "The Club"--We'll all join:
Subtitled: The Secret to Getting Through All Kinds of Change The New York Times best-selling author of Co-Dependent No More has lived through many crises: becoming sober, living with an alcoholic, losing her son to an accident, getting Hepatitis C, having chronic back problems--and many other losses. So she isn't writing this from a "professional or clinical viewpoint." "Welcome to the club," someone might say to you (or at least think it) when you have something happen to you they have already... more info
The Grief Club:
This is Melodie Beattie at her best relation to her own experience about losing a son. A lost loved one, a change in one's life and a move to a new city(Losing all old friendships behind) can be very traumatic.
I liked the chaper on WHAT NOT to say at funerals...like "I'm sorry"
Melody gets another thumbs up from me!!!