Welcome friend! Today I bring you the review of a short book by Kai Cheng Thom, Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls.
What happens when we imagine loving the people–and the parts of ourselves–that we do not believe are worthy of love?
A transformative collection of intimate and lyrical love letters that offer a path toward compassion, forgiveness, and self-acceptance.
“Required reading.”–Glennon Doyle
Kai Cheng Thom grew up a Chinese Canadian transgender girl in a hostile world. As an activist, psychotherapist, conflict mediator, and spiritual healer, she’s always pursued the same deeply personal mission: to embrace the revolutionary belief that every human being, no matter how hateful or horrible, is intrinsically sacred.
But then Kai Cheng found herself in a crisis of faith, overwhelmed by the viciousness with which people treated one another, and barely clinging to the values and ideals she’d built her life around: justice, hope, love, and healing. Rather than succumb to despair and cynicism, she gathered all her rage and grief and took one last leap of faith: she wrote. Whether prayers or spells or poems–and whether there’s a difference–she wrote to affirm the outcasts and runaways she calls her kin. She wrote to flawed but nonetheless lovable men, to people with good intentions who harm their own, to racists and transphobes seemingly beyond saving. What emerged was a blueprint for falling back in love with being human.
Falling Back in Love with Being Human – Review
Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom is an evocative collection of letters. It is lyrical, poetic and hard to put down. I read it on a weekend. I loved the idea of finding love through despair by writing to the parts of us that hurt. To see what is hurting and accept those parts of ourselves and others is a way of healing ourselves too.
Throughout the book, Kai is working through grief. Sometimes it is more defined like the pain of losing her sister. Other times, it is broader, looking into disillusionment from religions and communities that said they offered unconditional acceptance. Kai’s desire to talk to those who are gone and share all that has learned about living is one I share too.
The letters are short and concise. They offer opportunities for reflection and are followed by a suggestion to take action: whether it is to define a word like ‘monster’ or create a ritual or send someone a book, Falling Back in Love with Being Human is about rediscovering the humanity in us and others through small acts. Kai talks about teenage years as well as adult years. I was reminded of how important my friend circles as a young kid were and how compassion can develop at a very young age. I have gotten older and lost touch with the folks who made my childhood beautiful but those memories remain.
The prose of Falling Back in Love with Being Human is immersive. It is so easy to lose track of time, reading Kai’s thoughts. So many times, she says things I haven’t been able to put words to.
Books give ideas for conversations and opportunities to know others better. Falling Back in Love with Being Human is a good one to discuss with a friend/family with whom you can be candid!
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This book is so special. I picked it up while on a trip and I devoured it in one sitting. There’s so much to appreciate about the content and the writing.