The Gift of Becoming

The life of every human sees hardship at times. A tragedy can spark questions it seems no one can answer. As a hospital chaplain, Dick Cathell's job required him to be present in circumstances that were unbearable and unfathomable. How does one console the parents of a four-year-old mauled by a dog or the spouse of a recently-retired heart-attack victim? In this, his first book, Mr. Cathell writes a moving collection of stories, poems, and vignettes resulting from nearly four decades...
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The life of every human sees hardship at times. A tragedy can spark questions it seems no one can answer. As a hospital chaplain, Dick Cathell's job required him to be present in circumstances that were unbearable and unfathomable. How does one console the parents of a four-year-old mauled by a dog or the spouse of a recently-retired heart-attack victim? In this, his first book, Mr. Cathell writes a moving collection of stories, poems, and vignettes resulting from nearly four decades of heartbreaking encounters that all came as "part of the job." Through his experiences, Mr. Cathell discovered nine basic needs essential for coping with others' grief, as well as his own.