On Living
Dancing More, Working Less and Other Last Thoughts
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As a hospice chaplain, Egan didn't offer sermons or prayers, unless they were requested; in fact, she found, the dying rarely want to talk about God, at least not overtly. Instead, she discovered she'd been granted an invaluable chance to witness firsthand what she calls the "spiritual work of dying." Most of all, though, she listened as her patients talked about love-- for their children and partners and friends; returned, unrequited, and sometimes spurned. Now she passes along all the precious and necessary gifts contained in their stories.
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I was curious about what the dying have to say and teach me about life. The author is a hospice chaplain and recounts some of the stories and nuggets of wisdom that she has come across while doing this work. Through reading these stories I found myself reflecting on my own life and enjoyed this experience. Highly recommended for readers interested in a contemplative read.
I've finished two great books this week, and that is enough for me to say it's been a good reading week. Both books have a lot of similarities. Both On Living by Kerry Egan and All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown are nonfiction. Both books are about times in one's life when a person faces an enormous, potentially life-changing situation and about how those situations play out. All These Wonders is stories told at various locations around the world at The Moth on the storytelling stage. On Living has stories related by Egan, a hospice chaplain, that were shared with her in her role of talking with the dying. Both of these books are composed of powerful stories, stories that worked their way into my heart, into my bones, as I read them. Both books are reminders to live, folks, reminders that it is people and experiences we need. I highly recommend them both.
