WHEN Somerset Park resident, Dr Raleigh Perumal, lost his wife and best friend of 41 years, Ruby, he was devastated, and was overcome by an all-consuming grief. A senior pastor at the Harvest Family Chruch, the 67-year-old turned to God and prayer.
His path also led him to write his first book, ‘Overcoming Grief: From the Pit of Despair to the Fullness of Joy’. The book took a month to write and was published in the United States of America.
“Dealing with grief and loss is something most people have to do at some time in their lives. Grief is a natural response to the loss of someone or something very dear to us. Losing my wife was incredibly hard, there were days where I couldn’t live with the pain.
“As I went through the grieving process, I had a sort of divine epiphany to write this book. It was a way for me to deal with the pain of loss,” he said.
Perumal added that his writing process had another effect on him.
“During the writing process I saw my wife’s passing as a seed falling to the ground. That one seed then produces a harvest. So for me the book was an opportunity to help other families who are dealing with grief.
“I’ve shared my thoughts in the hope of consoling other family members through their process of grieving, with much success. With humbleness of heart and spirit, I long to share these precious tools,” he said.
Perumal has sold close to 300 copies, both through manual sales as well as through Amazon. For more information, contact Kiraksha on 031 563 8445.
