A provocative and groundbreaking exploration of grief told from the perspective and lived experiences of a Southern Baptist, Buddhist, woman of color.
Most of us understand grief as the sorrow we experience upon the loss of someone or something we hold dear-the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or perhaps a change in one's life circumstance. However, as Breesha Wade explains in Grieving While Back, grief is not only the result of a single precipitating event. It is a perpetual state of emotional being that transcends past, present, and future throughout our lives. What's more, our experience of grief is informed by the identities we embody within society. Wade writes from her experience as a Black woman, a Southern Baptist, and a practicing Buddhist who has observed the unspeakable tragedies committed by and against a people-tragedies kept alive by silences haunting generations, and yet waiting to be spoken. Each of us has a moral obligation to attend to our own grief while also observing and interacting responsibly with the grief of others. This book is meant to elucidate the dimension of grief in all aspects of our lives, and provides a map back to ourselves, allowing the reader to encounter their innate wholeness. Thoughtful and inspiring, it is an invitation to re-imagine our relationship to power, accountability, and boundaries without fear, while also pointing to the long-term work that needs to be done. Readers interested in the intersection of social justice, mental health, race, spirituality, healing, and gender will discover an original and groundbreaking exploration within these pages.
