I've read that the book
Being Mortal is recommended for anyone who may be a caregiver for a spouse or close relative/parent who may be aging, or may die, or to anyone who may themselves eventually age or die. In other words, it is for everyone.
There are many notable passages from the book that I have shared with others who have looked to me for support based on what I went through with my wife. I also had a mother that passed from cancer, but with my wife I was there not just during the best daytime hours (which was pretty much when I visited my mom), but all night, every morning, every meal, every doctor visit, through every pro and con of every decision, every treatment, every hospital stay, through everything. That continuous, intense closeness over 15-months (in her case) resulted in a unique understanding of the matters at-hand. This passage—writing about
the oncologist's role—is one of the most insightful in the book:
“Death is the enemy. But the enemy has superior forces. Eventually, it wins. And in a war that you cannot win, you don’t want a general who fights to the point of total annihilation. You don’t want Custer. You want Robert E. Lee, someone who knows how to fight for territory that can be won and how to surrender it when it can’t, someone who understands that the damage is greatest if all you do is battle to the bitter end.”
Post Edited (NKinney) : 4/12/2018 3:37:28 PM (GMT-6)