Includes bibliographical references (pages 189-191).
Contents:
Introduction -- Surviving. When you must, you can ; The prisoner cannot free himself ; An intimate invitation ; Prayer ; The house of memory ; An invitation to be kind ; Enough is enough ; The route of all blessings -- Healing. Like love, nature will heal you ; I am so sorry ; Hurt and run ; Stoop low ; Abracadabra ; Life is long -- Growing. Examine your life ; Headstones ; Be uncomfortable ; You matter ; Fix something ; The melody of what remains.
Summary:
"As the leader of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, one of America's largest and most important congregations, located in the heart of Los Angeles, Rabbi Leder has witnessed a lot of pain: "It's my phone that rings when people's bodies or lives fall apart," he writes. "The couch in my office is often drenched with tears." After 27 years of listening, comforting, and holding so many who suffered, he thought he understood pain and its challenges--but when it struck hard in his own life and brought him to his knees, a new understanding unfolded before him as he felt pain's profound effects on his body, spirit, and soul. In this elegantly concise, beautifully written, and deeply inspiring book, Rabbi Leder guides us through pain's stages of surviving, healing, and growing to help us all find meaning in our suffering. Drawing on his experience as a spiritual leader, the wisdom of ancient traditions, modern science, and stories from his own life and others', he shows us that when we must endure, we can, and that there is a path for each of us that leads from pain to wisdom. "Pain cracks us open," he writes. "It breaks us. But in the breaking, there is a new kind of wholeness." This powerful book will inspire in us all a life worthy of our suffering; a life gentler, wiser, and more beautiful than before."--Amazon.com.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.