Life Is a Gift: Inspiration from the Soon Departed
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In candid interviews, terminal patients in the Alive Hospice program talked with authors Bob and Judy Fisher, addressing some of the most important questions we ask about our life and how we've made the journey. These end-of-life ponderings are collected into inspirational and provoking thoughts that will encourage each of us to live life fully. Each story is reflected in thematic chapters-priorities, family, simple pleasures, romance, integrity, regret, forgiveness-crafted into a series of "lessons learned," offering motivation to approach life with more vigor. These powerful stories deliver the clear message that if you wait to really live until you know you are going to die, you risk missing much of the joy life has to offer and the chance to leave a positive legacy. Publishers Weekly What can the dying teach the living? That is the question that educators Bob and Judy Fisher set out to answer when they interviewed 104 hospice patients ages five to 98. There are no surprises in this slim volume: people talk about family more than work, and about living in the present. The book is organized thematically around topics like priorities, simple pleasures, regrets and forgiveness. This leads to some repetition and overlap, but also helps each chapter stand alone for individual study. The tone is comfortably conversational and liberally peppered with tie-ins to popular songs, although sometimes the authors' commentary gets in the way of their subjects' more powerful words. This is not a soul-shaking book, but it is an effective invitation to self-reflection. It stands out among the growing number of books about death and dying in that it is aimed back at the living: readers can find inspiration in these voices to make better choices in the here and now, find deeper joy in every day and live life with no regrets. (May)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Acknowledgments ixIntroduction xiThe Blessings of Earth 1Gathering Around 12Living the Moment 22A Coloring Book-Maddie's Story 34Finding Purpose 47Reconciliation 60Loving People 69Laughing at Life 79Getting Along 89Peace-Shirley's Story 102Defeating Regret-Proactive Discipline 109Defeating Regret-Perspective 122Defeating Regret-Treasuring Relationships 135Forgiving and Being Forgiven 144Hoping for Heaven 155The Final Healing 166Living for Others 178Living for God 190Conclusion: It All Comes Down to This 203The Ultimate Living and Dying Test 209A Word About Alive Hospice 211Notes 216About the Authors 221
