Gifts from the Broken Jar: Rediscovering Hope, Beauty, and Joy - Hardcover

P. J. Long

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0966739396 ISBN 13: 9780966739398

Publisher: Equilibrium Press, 2004

Synopsis

Everyone, at some time, learns how life can change in a moment: with the crossing of the center line on a highway or the reading of a blood test; a telephone's knell in the still of night or a spouse's hesitation before the unspeakable is spoken. Occasionally, out of the turmoil emerges a work of exceptional wisdom and beauty. Gifts from the Broken Jar is one such work. Psychotherapist PJ Long's life-altering moment came when the bolt of a terrified horse left her brain-injured. She became a stranger to herself, unable to drive a car, prepare a meal, or carry on a conversation.

But when PJ began to write, pen and ink acted as needle and thread, mending her torn mind and stitching together a new life. Lessons she had gleaned over years of helping others returned to guide her. And as PJ wrote, she gained profound insight into the resilience of the spirit and the unexpected joys of everyday life.

Warm, engaging, and exquisitely crafted, Gifts from the Broken Jar will take its place beside treasured works like May Sarton's journals or Tuesdays with Morrie--books that tell the quieter tale, savoring the ordinary and discovering life's wonders.

About this title

About the Author:

Prior to her accident, PJ Long, M.A. worked in the social services field for nearly twenty years. After spending much of her life abroad, she now lives in Vermont.

Review:

Few readers could put this book down without some misty eye wiping. -- Journal of the Kentucky Medical Association (May 2005) I recommend this book to people who plan to work in rehabilitation. Also highly recommended for survivors and their families. -- International Journal of Disability, Community & Rehabilitation This is a book to read, cherish, and give to others. --The Stowe (VT) Reporter (Nov. 2004)

Gifts from the Broken Jar moved me to tears as few books have ever done before. This is an extraordinarily educational and inspirational document. In my opinion, it should be read by professionals (even the most 'seasoned' ones) and by those brain-injured individuals who are capable, members of their families, and friends. If I had my druthers, I would make it compulsory reading for graduate students who wish to become counselors or psychotherapists. --Yehuda Ben-Yishay, Ph.D., Director, Brain Injury Day Treatment Program, New York University Medical Center

In this extraordinary and beautifully written memoir, PJ Long shows us that the cracks in our physical being are often the places where the light comes through. --Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings

About this edition

• Publisher: Equilibrium Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0966739396
• ISBN 13: 9780966739398
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 254