The Goodbye Gift

Your Legacy of Love: Realize the Gift in Goodbye
written by Gemini Adams
published by liveconsciously











A book review by Tom Gilbert - © December, 2009

All of us will one day face it; not everyone thinks about it. In fact, most people are in denial. They don’t contemplate it happening to them.

Just what are we referring to? The “D” word – death. Sooner or later, it comes to us all. Our mortality is a fact. Preparing for it is a good idea. Not dwelling on it, but preparing for it.

So, what can we do? To start, we can live everyday to its fullest. Have a zeal for life. Have an appreciation for the gift of living. In addition, do spend time planning for what you would like your loved ones to receive from you after you die.

Here is one of the greatest reasons for preserving your life story. It is a story of your experiences, what life means to you, and what others mean to you. One of the greatest gifts that any of us can receive is a “goodbye gift”. It is the gift from a loved one in the form of a written letter, essay or book that passes on a message of love, values and any instructions or directions you may want others to have after you’ve passed on from this life.

A new book from writer and grief expert, Gemini Adams, Your Legacy of Love: Realize the Gift in Goodbye, is full of wonderful and vital suggestions for just how to go about leaving the “Gift in Goodbye”. The author discovered the hard way how difficult it is to not have such a written legacy when her mother died of cancer at a young age. She longed to have this “goodbye gift” from her mother. It has taken her years and a great deal of research to put together this resource that details how important it is for each of us to “realize the gift of goodbye”.

More than financial assets, most people long to have emotional assets: the values, lessons, voice, image, wisdom and affections that make up a loving legacy. The message in Gemini Adam’s book is positive, uplifting and yet completely practical. She discusses how to get beyond a culture of denial about death and to embrace a life that includes considering leaving a written legacy of values and caring messages. She uses examples from others and stimulates your imagination as well as giving you practical steps to begin your own goodbye gift.

I’ve had a chance to speak with the author and I can tell you Gemini Adams is genuine and strongly motivated to share her inspirational message. You can find out more at her website, www.RealizetheGift.com. Her book is divided into three key sections -“Realize”, “The Gift”, and “In Goodbye”. Her personal experience and research will inform you with a wealth of creative ideas, resources and specific ways to prepare your stories, heritage and memories so you can leave a <em>legacy of love</em>.

Reading the book brought about several “head nods” as well as personal insights and inspiration. I’m a big believer in encouraging others to live in the moment so I was quite pleased with Chapter 11, “R.I.P. – Rest in the Present” and the emphasis on living in the now and telling people now that you love them. Part of expressing that love is preserving your story for your family and friends and in that story telling them how much they matter and what life has meant for you.

The book also contains an extensive resource section with links to various websites and information about books and programs, covering subjects such as grief, bereavement, life celebration, defining your wishes, music and motivation and life story preservation.

Enjoy the book and use it to realize the great “Gift in Goodbye”. It’s available in bookstores and online, including at the author’s website, www.RealizetheGift.com





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