Eternity and Me: The Everlasting Things in Life and Death [Hardcover]

The 40 short reflections in this book address the ways in which we face the prospect of death and loss. The first 20 reflections are designed to be read by (or to) anyone living with a life-threatening illness; the other 20 are reflections on living with grief, especially bereavement. Each reflection is based on a single story drawn from one of three sources: Dr. Kellehear's professional experience with individuals living with dying or loss; his own experiences and stories from childhood; and the retelling of some of the great myths and legends about life, love, and death, selected from around the world-from Ireland to Japan, from Melanesia to China. The book is written to be accessible to a wide general audience.It can be read from beginning to end like a conventional book; each self-contained piece is also suitable for reading on a bus, train, or plane journey, or before bed at night. Each piece can be selected as a stand-alone meditation for use as a discussion topic in pastoral care, counseling, or sermons. These reflections are stories about how we can make the most of life in the shadow of death and loss. They are designed to instill hope and meaning in the difficult times that can accompany human mortality.

The Good Story of Life
When death knocks at our door . . .
1 The Tree of Life
2 Fear and Dread
3 Friendship
4 The Question
5 Near-Death Experiences
6 The Body
7 Sex
8 The Burden of Peter Schlemihl
9 Christmas with Andy
10 Joy
11 God
12 Your Best Offer
13 Monsters
14 Astronaut
15 Planning and Preparing
16 A Living Thing
17 Shareholders
18 Your Fortune in Cairo
19 What will it be like for you?
20 Everlasting Things
Death and society and truth and fairy tale
21 Death: Worth Living For
22 Death and SocilsŠ