Dear Life; A Doctors Story of Love and Loss // Rachel Clarke
As a specialist in palliative medicine, Dr Rachel Clarke chooses to inhabit a place many people would find too tragic to contemplate. Every day she tries to bring care and comfort to those reaching the end of their lives and to help make dying more bearable.
Rachel’s training was put to the test in 2017 when her beloved GP father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She learned that nothing – even the best palliative care – can sugar-coat the pain of losing someone you love.
And yet, she argues, in a hospice there is more of what matters in life – more love, more strength, more kindness, more joy, more tenderness, more grace, more compassion – than you could ever imagine. For if there is a difference between people who know they are dying and the rest of us, it is simply this: that the terminally ill know their time is running out, while we live as though we have all the time in the world.
If lockdown’s taught me anything it’s to try and take stock and appreciate the small things, to live more in the moment and enjoy living life.
Dear Diary offers just that in the thoughts of people in palliative care looking back over their lives and how they wish they’d lived more when they could. I really enjoyed the way the story flowed and I admired Rachel’s strength throughout. I rated this one five stars.
