"I read 'Again in a Heartbeat' with the soul of a romantic and the eyes of a therapist. Ms. Weidener’s beautifully written work is a memoir of her husband, John, and their life together.
Ms. Weidener doesn’t hold back on emotional honesty, nor about the rough patches they went through. Despite “loosing it” at times, they trusted each other enough to express their difficulty in coping with this destructive force - cancer - which invaded their lives. In the end, the qualities of love which St. Paul describes, “love is patient, love is kind...” come through.
Most professionals realize there is more than one patient in a life threatening illness...the whole family suffers. I wish there had been someone there to interpret John’s behavior for Susan. Many patients want to spare their loved ones the pain of final separation, so they withdraw emotionally toward the end. Unless the process is explained, family members frequently feel confused and rejected.
In 'Again in a Heartbeat' Ms. Weidener has given therapists an excellent tool for opening up dialogue between couples coping with a serious illness. Perhaps by writing about their experience, Susan and John will spare others pain. Death may have taken John’s body, but his spirit lives on in Susan. Together they wrote another chapter in life’s book 'Profiles in Courage'."
Elizabeth A. Madden, MSW
No comments:
Post a Comment