Hospice Whispers: Stories of Life
Rev. Dr. Carla Cheatham
I highly recommend this book for anyone who has cared for a loved one who was dying, anyone who works in a helping profession, anyone who loves stories of ordinary and extraordinary people, and anyone who wants a glimpse into the world of hospice.
I do this work everyday and I still found myself crying in a restaurant while reading this book. These stories will tug at your heart, make you smile and cry, and give you insights into why hospice workers keep coming back to work day after day.
Ask any hospice worker and we will share stories like this with you. We’ll also share our mistakes too. Like the time I was sitting with my patient’s wife. He had just died and she was tearfully holding his hand. I told her how much I enjoyed visiting with them and how they’d been a good team for so long. She responded, “68 years.” I said, “That’s a long time.” She looked me in the eye and said, “Not long enough.” And she’s right, when you love someone it is never long enough.
This book uses stories to tell what we do and don’t do in hospice. You will be impressed by the work of all the disciplines on the hospice team. “This book was intended to point to the rich gifts and experiences that punctuate what seems to the outside world an impossibly sad job. My hope was to make death seem a little less scary, to make hospice just a little better understood, to help families and even patients feel just a little more prepared for what the process can look like” (174).
I am thankful to my supervisor who gave me this book for Christmas last year. I am thankful that I (finally) took the time to sit down and read it. This book is a gift. I hope you’ll read it and open yourself to the joy that is contained within these pages.
If you ever have the chance to hear
Carla speak, please go. I have heard her multiple times and every time it was worth it. She speaks to a variety of audiences, and I know she will have something to say to you that you need to hear.
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