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When Stan Goldberg was diagnosed with cancer, he chose to face his fear by helping others who were already in the process of dying: Stan signed up as a hospice volunteer and spent several years at the bedsides of the terminally ill. In this book, Stan shares the remarkable stories of people he met who were facing the end of life. Their stories shine a light on the human capacity for beauty, insight, forgiveness, and gratitude, as we see how people like us deal with anxiety and sadness with bravery and love.
But what's especially remarkable is that the bravery and love aren't as much expressed in grand, dramatic gestures as they are in ordinary acts and small accomplishments: in simple efforts at kindness, in asking for and receiving forgiveness, in the abandonment of anger, and in learning to speak directly from the heart—and to listen in the same way. What Stan ultimately discovers—and shares here—are not lessons in dying, but rather, lessons in learning how to live.
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 Forgiveness 15
2 Letting Go 41
3 Unconditional Giving 57
4 Heart Communication 75
5 Faces of Compassion 99
6 The Dilemma of Hope 127
7 Undifferentiated Love 147
8 Forgiving 163
9 Epiphany 177
Epilogue 191
Practical Suggestions 197
Helpful Resources 205
About the Author 209
Stan Goldberg has put together a series of stories that will inspire you to reach into your heart and soul and seek ways to care for others with a compassionate heart. Each story will guide you into acts of kindness that will move your heart into a place only your soul can embrace. In essence, these stories are encounters with eternal relationships created in our most simplest of moments in our care for others.
You will find stories of gratitude, forgiveness, courage, hope, faith, and much more in this book. As you care for the needs of others through service, you will find a path created inside you that will form your character in ways you never knew was possible. You will find peace in the appearance of despair, and you will come to know your most authentic self.
This is a book of encouragement. You will find yourself challenged by your present behavior toward others and replace it with the joy of living life in unconditional grace. Dying people have much to teach us about living, and how, unconditionally loving another person during their most darkest hours will reveal a beacon of light that will illuminate our soul.
Overview
When Stan Goldberg was diagnosed with cancer, he chose to face his fear by helping others who were already in the process of dying: Stan signed up as a hospice volunteer and spent several years at the bedsides of the terminally ill. In this book, Stan shares the remarkable stories of people he met who were facing the end of life. Their stories shine a light on the human capacity for beauty, insight, forgiveness, and gratitude, as we see how people like us deal with anxiety and ...