Thank you for sharing Beth, I really love this article and will come back to it. I am waiting for my copy in France but would gladly offer an other one to a good friend in my writing group. And congratulations for Kokoro !
For me, grief and guilt have gone hand in hand, which I have struggled with. Reading about the sentiment of 後悔 has given me much to reflect on. Thank you.
"To navigate any major life transition, including midlife, is to navigate grief".
On Easter Sunday, my sister, my husband and my children, visited my Aunt on Easter Sunday. We went to say our goodbyes.
My uncle and cousins initiated the move to a hospice facility that evening.
Not only am I navigating my own grief, but also accompanying my children, my parents, my aunts and uncles, my cousin as we navigate my aunt's dying process. Watching family hold on and let go; holding both gratitude and grief.
I have never experienced such a personal invitation to engage directly with writing. I find an authenticity present that feels as if the experience is uniquely crafted for me, much as the Geisha’s welcome. Your article transcends the medium of the electronic page. Thank you.
I lived in Japan in the early 1990s, right after college, an experience still very much alive in my soul. I just reread Memoirs of a Geisha and look forward to reading your book. Such an interesting, complex, beautiful culture. I am new to your work and excited to discovery more. Blessings and congrats on your latest book.
I am at a crossroads in my life, a time to pause, breath and look ahead with new eyes. I feel ripe to read Kokoro and thank my yoga teacher for introducing me to Beth's work.
Yes. There is a grief in letting go of things that will never happen again, especially as we grow older. Anticipatory grief is such a real thing and can be all-consuming if we don’t rein it in and manage it. Lovely writing, thank you 🙏🏻.
A beautiful essay with so much sensitivity. I recognised grief within dealing with life as it is right now, something I've been pushing down, when I read this. Grief doesn't just come from death but from change too. I felt sad for Nakaji-san and hope her steps forward bring her new happiness.
I have been exploring the many forms of grief and learning about ways to cope, which include acknowledging the feelings, talking with others about the loss, change, transition or whatever the situation, instead of pushing it away. I can't wait to read your new book!
What a beautiful read. I've taken a look at the new kimono creations, of course.
I'm often taken back a bit by how people brush off grief as something connected to losing a person, full stop. In the West it's almost trivialised in some aspects and people are made to feel like they're overreacting and being dramatic. When I experienced deep, transformative grief related to a health situation and childbirth, I felt very unseen and unheard. It's only in the last few years that individuals and therapists in the West are openly talking about grief in all its various aspects.
A thought provoking post. Until reading this I hadn’t even thought of the impact Covid would have had on such traditional ways of life elsewhere in the world.
Where you talk about grief hit home. My little boy died early last year and learning to live without him here has been the hardest adjustment and transition - something I never thought I’d have to do. Life is fleeting and it’s so important to not live with regrets.
A beautiful article thank you, reminding me that a big change is necessary and survivable to keep living in a TRULY alive way.
Thank you for sharing Beth, I really love this article and will come back to it. I am waiting for my copy in France but would gladly offer an other one to a good friend in my writing group. And congratulations for Kokoro !
For me, grief and guilt have gone hand in hand, which I have struggled with. Reading about the sentiment of 後悔 has given me much to reflect on. Thank you.
"To navigate any major life transition, including midlife, is to navigate grief".
On Easter Sunday, my sister, my husband and my children, visited my Aunt on Easter Sunday. We went to say our goodbyes.
My uncle and cousins initiated the move to a hospice facility that evening.
Not only am I navigating my own grief, but also accompanying my children, my parents, my aunts and uncles, my cousin as we navigate my aunt's dying process. Watching family hold on and let go; holding both gratitude and grief.
I have never experienced such a personal invitation to engage directly with writing. I find an authenticity present that feels as if the experience is uniquely crafted for me, much as the Geisha’s welcome. Your article transcends the medium of the electronic page. Thank you.
I lived in Japan in the early 1990s, right after college, an experience still very much alive in my soul. I just reread Memoirs of a Geisha and look forward to reading your book. Such an interesting, complex, beautiful culture. I am new to your work and excited to discovery more. Blessings and congrats on your latest book.
I loved reading your essay, and the extra bit about grief. Resonates so much in my life these days.
Thank you for your words. They are bringing much needed serenity
I am at a crossroads in my life, a time to pause, breath and look ahead with new eyes. I feel ripe to read Kokoro and thank my yoga teacher for introducing me to Beth's work.
魅力的な文章です。凄いです！I’d like to read your book at leisure
Yes. There is a grief in letting go of things that will never happen again, especially as we grow older. Anticipatory grief is such a real thing and can be all-consuming if we don’t rein it in and manage it. Lovely writing, thank you 🙏🏻.
A beautiful essay with so much sensitivity. I recognised grief within dealing with life as it is right now, something I've been pushing down, when I read this. Grief doesn't just come from death but from change too. I felt sad for Nakaji-san and hope her steps forward bring her new happiness.
I have been exploring the many forms of grief and learning about ways to cope, which include acknowledging the feelings, talking with others about the loss, change, transition or whatever the situation, instead of pushing it away. I can't wait to read your new book!
What a beautiful read. I've taken a look at the new kimono creations, of course.
I'm often taken back a bit by how people brush off grief as something connected to losing a person, full stop. In the West it's almost trivialised in some aspects and people are made to feel like they're overreacting and being dramatic. When I experienced deep, transformative grief related to a health situation and childbirth, I felt very unseen and unheard. It's only in the last few years that individuals and therapists in the West are openly talking about grief in all its various aspects.
Beautifully insightful
Thank you Beth, there is wisdom and peace in all your writings that I appreciate and admire. It is much needed 💕
A thought provoking post. Until reading this I hadn’t even thought of the impact Covid would have had on such traditional ways of life elsewhere in the world.
Where you talk about grief hit home. My little boy died early last year and learning to live without him here has been the hardest adjustment and transition - something I never thought I’d have to do. Life is fleeting and it’s so important to not live with regrets.