“Try to keep in mind that grieving has no predictable stages or particular timetable. Grief has many different expressions as there are people who grieve. We all share some common and universal experiences, yet each of us moves through grief in our own way and in our own time.”
— Claire B. Willis and Marnie Crawford Samuels in Opening to Grief
Carol Wall’s memoir Mister Owita’s Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart was published in 2014 and was named a Top 10 of the Year by AARP and USA Today. She died of breast cancer months after its publication.
Dick, her husband of 42 years and a lawyer, was so convinced that his wife’s book could inspire and help others that he decided to take to the road on a long book tour. His filmmaker son, Phil, joins him on this cross-country journey of more than 225 events in 30 states.
Here are some of the spiritual messages and insights Dick Wall shares with audiences who come to hear him talk about his wife’s bestseller:
- The cycle of grief has its own timetable.
- Grief is a link to others.
- Grace creates fellowship that lifts our spirits.
- Be a good steward of your pain and mourning.
- It is possible to endure a broken heart.
- Grief is the price we pay for loving.
- Grief is a natural process that encompasses body, mind, and spirit.
- Share your stories of grief and resilience.