Reckoning with the Grave

A Reflection on Visiting the House of Mourning

Grief does not want to be read about as much as it wants to be written about. Books about grief weigh more than other books; they ask you to turn stiffer pages and decode heavier words. Their gravity must be borne throughout the book’s reading and after its completion. Whereas every day comes with plenty of trouble, why cumber ourselves with this additional load of care?

For me, let’s just say it’s because someone recommended With or Without Me, by Esther Maria Magnis. That recommendation was a gift of grace, however...