The Wisdom of Death
Six Paths to Understanding Loss and Grief
by
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Death is unique to each individual, much like fingerprints are one of a kind for each person. So are the experiences of the surviving loved ones. Other factors which make death unique are the age and gender of the deceased, the age and gender of the surviving loved ones, and each person=s spiritual maturity. One can see that because of the magnitude of experiences in loss through death, there are many views, which reflect a wide array of research in this subject matter. There was a need for a book that took the wisdom of the ages and applied it to several simple steps or paths in helping a person understand the loss of a loved one. The Wisdom of Death: Six Paths to Understanding Loss and Grief fills that need. It gathers together some of the most important aspects of understanding loss, then places them in a six path system that enables the griever to grasp universal wisdom and truth easily and orderly. One must realize that the paths to understanding loss are not leading to a place where there is no more grief or pain from sorrow. The paths lead to different levels of understanding and coping. They sometimes cross, sometimes move in circles, and other times lead one to the valley as well as the mountain top. A person does not experience death of a loved one on any given day, and then travel forward in a straight line away from grief until they are no longer affected by the death, at which time they resume life as it was before the loss. They are permanently changed by the death. The path is not straight or linear, but circular and spiraling up and down. In other words, when one experiences loss, they move in circles going up and down. Sometimes those circles cross the paths of memory, or pain and sorrow. The circles become larger, and the pain of loss decreases with time as one travels in spirals up and down in a circular motion, but the pain of loss never goes away. Do not expect it to ever just go away. Life is no longer the way it was before the death. It has been altered. It has been changed. A look, a deed, a smell, a thought, a memory, or any host of things can bring the pain of loss crashing in like a wave. Understanding this helps one ride those waves rather than drown in them. The Wisdom of Death will teach you lessons about life, ones learned while participating in the dying experience. If only one chapter, phrase, or thought is helpful, then the goal has been accomplished.
I am confident the reader will find the universality of death’s wisdom to be applicable to any situation. These universal truths will allow the reader to think and journey through their grief in order to obtain an understanding of their loss. I urge the reader to keep an open mind and heart. Please agree to disagree with me. It is all right. What is most important is the fact that your loved one did not live and die in an empty manner. Reach out and grab the wisdom, which death offers and begin to live your life in a fresh and new way. Life is short, death is certain, so let us live in wisdom, fullness, and abundance.
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About the Book
The greatest fault found in other grief and loss books is they have not "systemized" the understanding process. Popular works have the information the reader needs so desperately spread throughout their pages or contained in multiple books. There was a need for a book that plainly and simply "systemized" the journey through death, grief, sorrow, and anger. Needed was a book, which took the wisdom of the ages and applied it to several simple steps or paths. The Wisdom of Death: Six Paths to Understanding Loss and Grief fills that need. It gathers the most important aspects of understanding loss and places them in a six-path system that enables the griever to grasp universal wisdom and truth easily and orderly. It contains information in an appendix that discusses financial matters one may face after losing a loved one. This includes a very useful and practical financial checklist. Cons, scams and other financial pitfalls are also examined. Packed with wisdom, practical advice, and a spiritual view, The Wisdom of Death is a must read book for anyone who has lost a loved one through death.
About the Author
Paul R. Villanueva is a 24-year law enforcement veteran. He has seen death both in his personal and professional life. He has experienced the death of fellow police officers and friends, who died while protecting society. Personally, he has lost several close family members to death as well as his own father and father-in-law. He has learned valuable lessons on living through his experience and participation in these deaths. Mr. Villanueva holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies / Systematic Theology and a Master of Arts degree in Negotiation and Conflict Management. He lives on a five-acre ranch in Hemet, California, with his wife and two dogs. The Wisdom of Death: Six Paths to Understanding Loss and Grief is his first book.