The Matter of Little Losses

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

K.J. Ramsey

“The Matter of Little Losses provides a much-needed antidote to our quick-fix culture, inviting us to share and honor the gift of lament. Through her brave exploration of loss, Kang reminds us that in honoring sorrow we not only find solace but also a path to deeper communion with one another. I will be savoring the reflections it evoked in me for a long while to come.”

Dr. Alison Cook

“Rachel Marie Kang is a person quickly defined as generous. She clearly desires to give of herself for the sake of others’ well-being and betterment. She has a keen ear for rhythm and relationship, both in the way she constructs her sentences in their phonetically pleasing way and in the way she tunes herself to the emotional needs of her community—offering the balm and bandage of words spoken with care for each individual who listens.”

Conor Sweetman

“Rachel Marie Kang writes like a close friend you have known your whole life—the kind who gives you a long embrace when you’ve been apart for some time, the kind who holds your hand when you walk together, and the kind who knows what you’re thinking about even when you haven’t said it out loud. This book is a companion for each of us as we navigate life’s changes—the ‘ordinary instants,’ as Rachel refers to them, when life flips. It is masterfully and powerfully written. Rachel’s words will stick with you long after you’ve turned the last page.”

Ginny Yurich

“In The Matter of Little Losses, we are gently tended to and carried through the various ways grief affects us. Rachel Marie Kang draws on stories, art, and the power of our connections to remind us that our grief matters and that we are not alone in it. As you journey through your own losses, Kang’s poetry, thoughtful reflections, and story weaving will guide you along the way. I am so grateful for this book.”

Kaitlin B. Curtice

“For the last three decades, my life has been marked by consecutive and unrelenting losses. Like trying to escape a riptide in the ocean, I feared the waves of grief would carry me beyond rescue. As it turns out, the process of grief—of big devastations and small disappointments—became the necessary and sacred work of true healing. In The Matter of Little Losses, Rachel Marie Kang gives light for those walking dark pathways of grief, in whatever form. She is a fellow sojourner, knowing firsthand the complexities and impossibilities of grief. Thus she resists pat answers and instead offers compassion, comfort, and true friendship on every page.”

Michele Cushatt

“Kang’s poetic reflections on grief and loss are a sanctuary for those wrestling with the lingering sting of absence. Her attentiveness to such a delicate subject filled me with a profound sense of hope and camaraderie in reckoning with my own journey through grief. I highly recommend this and all of her work.”

Stephen Roach

“Grief is a country, and we’re all moving there. Rachel has created a luminous guidebook for us. There is deep value in reading her wise words in preparation, as they will help you understand and support the ones you love who travel ahead of you and help you savor the life you have now. You won’t find toxic optimism or sanctimonious tips from Rachel, just the quiet, clean story of one who has lived here a long time. And she shares the unfathomable secrets of this country—life can be beautiful here. Not the losses that brought us here but the living with them can be good and joyful and holy. Rachel shares the rich goodness she’s found in her own grieving. Into her own story she interweaves questions for you, questions you can follow like a map to uncover your own deep and rich and meaningful life in the land of grief.”

Kate Haynes Murphy