Title: Things Don’t Mean Anything Until They Mean Something
Author: John A. Bayerl
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1984571427
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 766
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington

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Things Don’t Mean Anything Until They Mean Something starts on a sad note. One can feel the agony in the author’s tone as he narrates the suffering and ultimate death of Gwen, his lovely wife. Having been married for 47 years, John and Gwen had been blessed with four children and three grandchildren. The author and his family lived a comfortable life, up until the misery came along. John A. Bayerl wrote with passion. The reader could tell that he had thought about what he was writing for a while. Reading this book can be equated to going through an emotional roller coaster. The author is engaging, enabling the author to feel the joy, pain, or appreciation of life in his writing. John A. Bayerl wrote this book to not only tell his story but to also speak to people who may have gone through the situation he went through. One can tell that the author still deeply loves his wife. The poems, kind words, sweet memories and how John spoke about Gwen all confirm that true love never dies. Even with the gloomy theme of death, one could still see something positive in the words of the author.

John A. Bayerl had a lot to talk about his late wife. It is unfortunate that cancer took away the love of his life. There are lessons the reader could get through the grief. John teaches us that it is important to care for and show love to those who matter. Make your family feel loved when they are still with you, because you will never get another chance to show them love once they die. We are also shown how to love unconditionally, as there is no greater act in this world other than love. Things Don’t Mean Anything Until They Mean Something also shows that counselors too face sad times and need counseling. Even as a counselor, John could not pretend to be strong forever.

Kindness is a great virtue and John’s experience shows why we need to be kind to each other, as you do not know what the next person is going through. I enjoyed that John listened to everyone, even those who came for counseling from him. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “When grief has you on your knees, you have two choices: you can lie down and grovel in the dirt, or you can find a way to stand tall and become someone who continues to live a full life.” I think it was great that the author had the quote as the opening line because the words bring a little strength and comfort to those who are heartbroken. I must admit this book can be emotionally draining; the sad events in the author’s life are very agonizing for one individual to handle, especially touching upon memories to those who may have gone through a similar experience. I do, however, appreciate that the author put his story out for everyone, as just as it is raw and real, it also is encouraging and inspiring.

I like the format of the book as the author wrote about his life in a journal form. It was easy to read since he wrote about quite a number of events in his life. This book can be listed as an inspirational non-fiction. Reading Things Don’t Mean Anything Until They Mean Something will give you the strength to face grief and any other challenges in your life. This is a very through provoking book that will ultimately make you think about life.