Wednesday, February 15, 2017

On Living, by Kerry Egan - January

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I haven't posted in a while... (that's putting it lightly).

I have some goals, this year - one of them is to read at least one book per month.  I work 20 hrs a week, volunteer at preschool for 5 hrs per week, church for 3 hrs per week, sit through soccer practice for 2 hrs per week, at least one soccer game for 1-2 hrs per week, and try to get laundry done, groceries gotten, food prepped, house clean(ish), and, you know, shower on occasion.  There are times, as I'm typing this, that I find can do double duty, so I shall take advantage of that.  I hope.

Anyway, I have one book under my belt, so far.

I have a yen for the non-fiction, real-life stories of people.  I super love people.  I will sit and listen if you want to tell me about yourself.  I find it highly fascinating.  I love stories of love and survival and trials and triumph and heartache and living and happiness and suffering and conquering and lessons learned..... all of it.  I love it.

This was the perfect find, for me.  Kerry Egan is a chaplain for hospice patients.  She says a lot of patients don't always want to talk about God or religion or prayer or whatever.  Some do, yes, but what people want most, when they're in the final stages of their mortal existence, is to tell their stories.  To give voice to their regret; to give their memories life, again; to express their dark secrets and deepest wishes and dreams.  And she gets to hear it, all.

She has done a great service to these people and to her readers, by making some of these experiences accessible to the rest of the world.  Throughout the book, she even intertwines her own heartache and fears and life experiences, making this book even more personal.

It makes me want to become a chaplain for hospice care.  I would truly love that vocation.  I found it takes a great deal of schooling to become one, officially.  But, no one said I can't just listen to people.

So, I will.  :)


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