P.A.T.H. Book Report (vol. 1)

P.A.T.H. training is looming, as a part of the course requirements we are required to read several books and give report on them. This is the first of the five that I have read, I thought I'd share a few thoughts here to give you an idea of what we will be looking at while we're out at P.A.T.H. training in April, May and June.

The Grieving Indian
by Arthur Holmes

The Grieving Indian is written by an Ojibwe man by the name of Art Holmes. It is not a lengthy read, but it is packed with powerful insights and practical illustrations. The practical life experiences of Art serve as a poignant backdrop to his book and as a powerful base for his ministry.

His understanding of the fundamental needs of those grieving and suffering loss or separation is clearly presented throughout the book. And although this is written with a focus on Native peoples, the truths are something everyone should understand.

I personally found his expounding on the stages of grief and the correlation to abandonment or separation to be very insightful. It is interesting to me to see how the attitudes of generations past have deeply impacted the attitudes and reactions to personal suffering in people today.