Book Review: On Living

On Living by Kerry Egan.. Kerry Egan is a hospice chaplain and tells the stories that her dying patients have shared with her. Some are funny, some are touching, some are sad. Families have complicated stories which sometimes involve secrets or hurtful memories. She shares these without violating any privacies, of course, and tells them to show us that dying people are just like living people.. except they are dying. She encourages us to take advantage of our lives now while we can, and to tell people we love them, ask for forgiveness, or tell what we've kept buried for too long. Most of us won't depart from this earth with profound last words, leaving our survivors in awe and wonder. At the same time, she encourages us not to be afraid of dying people. They need our presence and our listening ears. This week marks the one-year anniversary of my mother's death. I was so lucky to be with her 'til her last breath. It's a privilege to go on this journey with a loved one.