Closure

Re “No End to the Quest for Closure,” Aug. 18: It is useful that the pop-psychology “movement” of closure has people talking more openly and dealing with grief and loss in their lives. I think that ultimately this will result in a more healthy society.

However, in our collective myopia, we seem to focus on the quick fix to make us feel better: “If I can just get closure, everything will be all right.” Closure, as most people think of it, is indeed a fantasy. Setting about purging loss or grief from your life is a lesson in futility--it never ever goes away. Hopefully, in the process of searching for “closure,” you learn to integrate the loss and grief--to live with it, not from it. Here’s the catch: It takes a lot of work, not a magic wand.

SAM BLOOM

Marina del Rey

* Finally maybe all the “closure” psychobabble will come to an end.

SIDNEY BROUNSTEIN

Redlands