I Wish I Knew

Some books arrive at the exact moment you need them. Others wait patiently on your shelf until life changes you enough to finally understand them. I Wish I Knew by Donna Ashworth has been both for me.

This collection of poetry offers gentle reflections on life’s most tender and challenging moments: love, loss, healing, self-worth, and resilience. Through simple yet powerful language, Ashworth speaks directly to the human experience, offering comfort and reassurance to anyone navigating the complexities of being alive.

I first read I Wish I Knew when it was released, and I remember thinking how beautiful and comforting it was. Her writing has always stood out to me for its gentleness and compassion. She has a rare ability to take life’s heaviest emotions and hold them in a way that feels light, without ever diminishing their depth.

Coming back to this book after experiencing the loss of my beloved Terry changed everything for me.

What once felt like a lovely collection of thoughtful poems now feels deeply personal, almost as if the words were written just for me. Reading it again, I found myself connecting to the pages in a way I hadn’t before. It felt less like reading and more like being quietly supported. There is something incredibly intimate about the way Ashworth writes, as though she is sitting beside you, offering comfort without trying to fix anything.

This collection explores themes of grief, healing, love, and self-acceptance. It gently reminds you that it is okay to feel everything, even the emotions we often try to push away. Instead of offering answers, it offers understanding. Instead of rushing you forward, it allows you to sit exactly where you are.

That is what makes this book so special.

After loss, many words can feel empty or forced, but this book never does. It feels honest. It feels patient. It feels kind. At times, it even felt like someone holding my hand through the quiet moments of grief, helping me feel less alone in something that can often feel isolating.

I am incredibly grateful for this book, not only for what it meant to me the first time I read it, but for what it continues to mean to me now. It is one of those rare books that grows with you and meets you differently depending on where you are in life.

I would highly recommend I Wish I Knew to anyone who is navigating loss, healing, or simply trying to understand their emotions a little more deeply. It is a book you can return to again and again, and each time, it will give you exactly what you need.

Read my personal reflection: A Quiet Seat

Affiliate link: I Wish I Knew