Few experiences of loneliness can be more devastating than the loneliness that accompanies a loss ... unless it is the loss that is complicated by a society's unwillingness to understand and acknowledge the needs of those who struggle with various levels of mental retardation. These are people who invest in love and therefore are forced to invest in loss. Many of them suffer the indignity of loss's isolation because those outside their community refuse to see them and embrace them. This book will tell their stories, but also addresses our biases and fears so that might care more effectively.
Rev. Richard B. Gilbert, D.Min., Executive Director, The World Pastoral Care Center