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The Cure for Sorrow
When Jan Richardson unexpectedly lost her husband and creative partner, the singer/songwriter Garrison Doles, she did what she had long known how to do: she wrote blessings.
These were no sugar-coated blessings. They minimized none of the pain and bewilderment that came in the wake of a wrenching death. With these blessings, Jan entered, instead, into the depths of the shock, anger, and sorrow. From those depths, she has brought forth words that, with heartbreaking honesty, offer surprising comfort and stunning grace.
Those who know loss will find kinship among these pages. In these blessings that move through the anguish of rending into the unexpected shelters of solace and hope, there shimmers a light that helps us see we do not walk alone.
From her own path of grief, Jan offers a luminous, unforgettable gift that invites us to know the tenacity of hope and to recognize the presence of love that, as she writes, is "sorrow's most lasting cure."
These were no sugar-coated blessings. They minimized none of the pain and bewilderment that came in the wake of a wrenching death. With these blessings, Jan entered, instead, into the depths of the shock, anger, and sorrow. From those depths, she has brought forth words that, with heartbreaking honesty, offer surprising comfort and stunning grace.
Those who know loss will find kinship among these pages. In these blessings that move through the anguish of rending into the unexpected shelters of solace and hope, there shimmers a light that helps us see we do not walk alone.
From her own path of grief, Jan offers a luminous, unforgettable gift that invites us to know the tenacity of hope and to recognize the presence of love that, as she writes, is "sorrow's most lasting cure."
184 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2016
203 people are currently reading
962 people want to read
About the author
Jan L. Richardson
10 books61 followersJan is an artist, writer, and ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. She serves as director of The Wellspring Studio, LLC, and travels widely as a retreat leader and conference speaker. Known for her distinctive intertwining of word and image, Jan’s work has attracted an international audience drawn to the welcoming and imaginative spaces that she creates in her books, online blogs, and public events.
A native Floridian several generations over, Jan grew up in Evinston, a small community near the university town of Gainesville. The rural landscape, community traditions (including the annual Evinston Thanksgiving dinner in the park that has been taking place for more than fifty years), and lifelong relationships fostered a rich sense of place, imagination, and ritual that continue to shape Jan's life and infuse her work.
Jan is the Visiting Artist at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park, Florida, serves on the faculty of the Grünewald Guild in Washington State, and is part of Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery, a community that draws from Methodist and Benedictine traditions. She makes her home in Central Florida with her husband and frequent collaborator, the singer/songwriter Garrison Doles.
A native Floridian several generations over, Jan grew up in Evinston, a small community near the university town of Gainesville. The rural landscape, community traditions (including the annual Evinston Thanksgiving dinner in the park that has been taking place for more than fifty years), and lifelong relationships fostered a rich sense of place, imagination, and ritual that continue to shape Jan's life and infuse her work.
Jan is the Visiting Artist at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park, Florida, serves on the faculty of the Grünewald Guild in Washington State, and is part of Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery, a community that draws from Methodist and Benedictine traditions. She makes her home in Central Florida with her husband and frequent collaborator, the singer/songwriter Garrison Doles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
June 8, 2019
This book! Why isn’t this book talked about more? There are so many cringe worthy books people give those who are grieving, yet this one isn’t mentioned. This is a simple book of blessings/poems for those after loss. Gentle, beautiful, and comforting. Not trite, not prescriptive, and no platitudes. Loved it with my whole heart.
July 4, 2017
I've been following Jan Richardson's website(s) for a number of years now (painted prayerbook, sanctuary of women, jan richardson, the advent door) as well as receiving her emails and blog updates. She is a gifted artist, writer, healer and teacher. Her beautiful words and art are often just what I need. This is the first of her books I've purchased, but I'll be seeking out some of the others.
Arising out of her own grief following her husband's death, these "blessings" (prayers, words of longing and heart rending and healing) are a gift to anyone who has loved and lost, though some are very definitely geared toward a partnered relationship, most are fluid expressions of loss and longing that would apply to any sort of mourning. Those too who are experiencing the anger and griefs and hurts of other types of severe traumas or death/losses/griefs would also find much in this that might be healing and speaks to the journey thru anger and wandering, exhaustion and moving forward in living with loss and unspeakable change. The poems are a comfort, a reminder that there are others who have also suffered and while each path is different, someone knows something of this terrain.
The book lacks the exquisite artwork of the websites, but has the advantage of being able to be held in one's hand, to curl up in a chair or bed with the comfort of tea and be able to turn pages and easily find particular pieces in a table of contents. Whether used on one's own or in the service of chaplaincy, pastoral care, spiritual direction, for rituals or healing as gift to another, this is a book that should hold a place on many bookshelves and used and re-used.
Arising out of her own grief following her husband's death, these "blessings" (prayers, words of longing and heart rending and healing) are a gift to anyone who has loved and lost, though some are very definitely geared toward a partnered relationship, most are fluid expressions of loss and longing that would apply to any sort of mourning. Those too who are experiencing the anger and griefs and hurts of other types of severe traumas or death/losses/griefs would also find much in this that might be healing and speaks to the journey thru anger and wandering, exhaustion and moving forward in living with loss and unspeakable change. The poems are a comfort, a reminder that there are others who have also suffered and while each path is different, someone knows something of this terrain.
The book lacks the exquisite artwork of the websites, but has the advantage of being able to be held in one's hand, to curl up in a chair or bed with the comfort of tea and be able to turn pages and easily find particular pieces in a table of contents. Whether used on one's own or in the service of chaplaincy, pastoral care, spiritual direction, for rituals or healing as gift to another, this is a book that should hold a place on many bookshelves and used and re-used.
October 15, 2018
Thoughtful
A good poignant read. Not for the fragile. Beautiful poetry bringing grief and God together to contemplate. Although sorrow producing, the philosophy within is marked by gratitude.
A good poignant read. Not for the fragile. Beautiful poetry bringing grief and God together to contemplate. Although sorrow producing, the philosophy within is marked by gratitude.
June 30, 2020
A book you can hand to a grieving friend without apology. Neither trite nor saccharine, it is a good companion on the road of grief.
April 20, 2025
This book has been an extraordinary gift across long months of grieving. Sections were read at Eliza’s memorial service, and since then I have returned to it over and over again, each time finding peace in its insights and grace.
December 7, 2021
This book was gifted to me a couple of months ago after my husband of 35 years passed away suddenly at home. I don't consider myself a religious person, but I did find comfort in the blessings the author included in this book. I'll be keeping it on my nightstand for a while to refer to some of my favorites.
December 7, 2017
My grief counselor gave me this book. I read it slowly. Many of the blessings spoke to me, comforted me, allowed me the space to feel, put a name to something for me. I think part of what is terrible about grief is the fear that it will leave you some day; those who have gone ahead of us in grief know that's not true. I would wish for everyone a sort of mentor in grief, and I am grateful for the people I know and love who have shown me what it is to carry grief and let it change; this book can do some of that good work.
May 31, 2022
This books speaks to my grief like no other I've ever read. It also helps give me words to help others who are experiencing the lonely desert of grief themselves. I'm ready to turn back to the beginning and start through this again.
BLESSINGS OF HOPE
So may we know
the hope
that is not just
for someday
but for this day --
here, now,
in this moment
that opens to us:
hope not made
of wishes
but of substance...
BLESSINGS OF HOPE
So may we know
the hope
that is not just
for someday
but for this day --
here, now,
in this moment
that opens to us:
hope not made
of wishes
but of substance...
February 2, 2024
I will be rereading this book throughout my journey with grief.
December 29, 2021
This was the most helpful book I’ve read in my season of grief. Lovely poetry - honest, compassionate and fearless, fighting for a quiet hope that persists in spite of heavy loss.
June 8, 2020
I can't begin to say how I first learned of Jan Richardson, but I ordered this volume of hers last fall for my birthday. It slayed me in the best possible way, and I shed no small amount of tears.
There is something about a blessing, perhaps particularly when there is a season of loss or drought. To take words and shape them into something that does not dismiss the current hardship, but fully sees it and recognizes it, as well as the strength it takes for one to walk through pain.
Jan Richardson has published other books of blessings, but this one emerged as she grieved the sudden loss of her husband. These hold lament, hold acknowledgment of the impossibility of surviving, the ache of continuing on when you can't imagine joy ever returning.
I read one reviewer suggest that the title feels slightly misnamed; The Cure for Sorrow can feel dismissive, and it's not at all what this book contains, but thinking of it as The Comfort for Sorrow is a better characterization, and I would agree.
I find myself returning to this volume on a regular basis, as it seems to always have a suitable blessing. First I used an excerpt from "Blessing for Getting the News" to close a talk I was invited to give to my church, centering around how we experienced God's presence as we survived the loss of our first child.
Then I've found other blessings the apt words for friends in their realities. One blessing came to mind for a friend enduring a second separation from her husband in less than six months. A third blessing was suitable for copying out for a friend when she admitted their move here had not become what they expected, so they were embarking on a cross-country move to seek out a more balanced life where they all could flourish. The blessing even seemed suitable for what the experience is like when goodbyes can't take place properly, due to a world-wide pandemic.
I have every intention of adding more Richardson titles to my library, as the experience of reading them is meaningful and grounded in beauty and truth.
There is something about a blessing, perhaps particularly when there is a season of loss or drought. To take words and shape them into something that does not dismiss the current hardship, but fully sees it and recognizes it, as well as the strength it takes for one to walk through pain.
Jan Richardson has published other books of blessings, but this one emerged as she grieved the sudden loss of her husband. These hold lament, hold acknowledgment of the impossibility of surviving, the ache of continuing on when you can't imagine joy ever returning.
I read one reviewer suggest that the title feels slightly misnamed; The Cure for Sorrow can feel dismissive, and it's not at all what this book contains, but thinking of it as The Comfort for Sorrow is a better characterization, and I would agree.
I find myself returning to this volume on a regular basis, as it seems to always have a suitable blessing. First I used an excerpt from "Blessing for Getting the News" to close a talk I was invited to give to my church, centering around how we experienced God's presence as we survived the loss of our first child.
Then I've found other blessings the apt words for friends in their realities. One blessing came to mind for a friend enduring a second separation from her husband in less than six months. A third blessing was suitable for copying out for a friend when she admitted their move here had not become what they expected, so they were embarking on a cross-country move to seek out a more balanced life where they all could flourish. The blessing even seemed suitable for what the experience is like when goodbyes can't take place properly, due to a world-wide pandemic.
I have every intention of adding more Richardson titles to my library, as the experience of reading them is meaningful and grounded in beauty and truth.
February 22, 2022
This book is full of beautiful, thoughtful blessings/poems reflecting different points in her grief process and, refreshing for grief-related books, makes it clear there are no easy or quick answers, no checkboxes or defined steps you can attain in order to “be done with” grief and loss (despite the title, which may be a bit misleading).
While some of the blessings are prefaced by a Bible quote and a couple have specific Christian references, there are many that aren’t and may resonate with anyone going through grief. I know so many friends have had different losses over the past few years, so maybe this book will be of comfort to someone.
While some of the blessings are prefaced by a Bible quote and a couple have specific Christian references, there are many that aren’t and may resonate with anyone going through grief. I know so many friends have had different losses over the past few years, so maybe this book will be of comfort to someone.
March 7, 2022
Since 2016 I have ordered this book eight times for others and I cannot literally cannot keep it on my shelf without finding another person to give it away to. Richardson's poem "Blessing for the Brokenhearted" is one I often share with grieving family members as a hospice chaplain. I should probably just order a bulk shipment to keep on hand. This book touched me deeply when I first read it, as I was in the midst of postpartum depression after the birth of my first child. Every person I have given this book to has responded with gratitude at how Richardson's words provided validation and comfort in some of the worst moments of their lives.
March 2, 2020
Simple poems but rich with imagery, recurring themes woven just a little bit differently in each poem. Grief, she posits, is its own cure; and fully experiencing the grief, rather than resisting it, will bring blessings.
It's a quick read, if you want, or a slow thoughtful read, if you prefer. Or both. A little book that can be picked up time and again without feeling too much like you've been here before.
It's a quick read, if you want, or a slow thoughtful read, if you prefer. Or both. A little book that can be picked up time and again without feeling too much like you've been here before.
February 26, 2023
Some blessings are specific for widows, born out of the author's own experience of losing her husband and some are more general about grief and sorrow. The one that impacted me the most was the end of the Lost Blessing.
"It just wants you to know
You are not alone,
Have never been,
Will never be--
That it will go with you,
Will wander with you
As long as you want,
As long as it takes,
Gladly lost with you
Until your way
Appears."
"It just wants you to know
You are not alone,
Have never been,
Will never be--
That it will go with you,
Will wander with you
As long as you want,
As long as it takes,
Gladly lost with you
Until your way
Appears."
August 21, 2019
There is no cure for sorrow, and Jan Richardson knows it. These blessings help to navigate grief, not make it go away. I have experienced profound loss in the last several years, and this book has helped immeasurably.
Don't read it in one sitting. Read a blessing or two, and sit with them. Ponder them. Let them wash over you.
In lieu of flowers - this book.
Don't read it in one sitting. Read a blessing or two, and sit with them. Ponder them. Let them wash over you.
In lieu of flowers - this book.
July 16, 2021
I really liked this one. It spoke to my heart as a griever. Even though Richardson’s grief is for her spouse, I felt like the way she writes can be understood universally. She writes with a lot of hope, without being saccharine and pushy. I will definitely revisit this one, and maybe even buy my own copy.
October 30, 2021
I've gifted this collection to 10+ people and return to it often. Richardson just gets grief and its other side (love) so powerfully and articulates the experience so wisely. It's helped me cope during the last year, and her "The Blessing You Should Not Tell Me" is my go to when I think of what to tell people who want to help or comfort bereaved people. It is just magical, real, and soothing.
February 9, 2020
This is a beautifully written book that touches the heart in many ways. However, I do not consider many of the entries to be blessings. We are often told what to expect when the blessing comes, if how it will speak to our condition, but we don’t see the blessing.
Four stars waning.
Four stars waning.
April 11, 2021
Given to me by a friend, this has been such a timely gem of a book, speaking into grief and other things been journeying with.
Not a book to just read through but to savour the words of each blessing. A book I shall return to more than once
Not a book to just read through but to savour the words of each blessing. A book I shall return to more than once
July 19, 2021
What an incredible deep book! After reading a blessing I would say “wow” at the end of it because it was so powerful. This wow and amazement kept happening throughout the book! I am going to buy extras to give away.
January 3, 2022
My father died in April 2018 and my mom August 2019. On top of that, both had dementia. I had become steeped in grief. This beautiful book of blessings helped. I would start each day with one, really taking my time with each. I highly recommend this book for anyone coping with grief.
June 29, 2017
This book is an outstanding collection of blessings that would undoubtedly be a gift to anyone going through the process of grieving, whether that grief is new or old.
November 4, 2017
I love Jan Richardson.
August 28, 2019
A wonderful resource for anyone wrestling with the complexities of grief. Many of the prayers are suitable for a variety of heartrending situations, not just widowhood.
November 1, 2019
This book has helped me so much while grieving.
January 10, 2020
Honest, raw, and powerful. Out of grief, blessings?
Jan Richardson is able to express it in words, often heartbreakingly so, but beautiful nonetheless.
Jan Richardson is able to express it in words, often heartbreakingly so, but beautiful nonetheless.
February 22, 2020
Six out of five stars for this unbearably eloquent, poignant, insightful, and thoroughly essential spiritual poetry about mortal loss. Indispensable reading that is a vital and timeless resource.
April 12, 2020
People who know me know I love Jan Richardson. Highly recommend this for anyone going through a loss or life transition.
June 1, 2020
For anyone who has loved and lost. This book speaks to the deepest places of grief. Beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews