Matter of Death and Life

A memoir of caregiving for the author's elderly father in his last years, this book is also about the loss of a beloved career as a hospital chaplain and a reflection on the many "deaths" experienced throughout life. Family dysfunction and fierce love, recovery from addiction, regret and guilt, thanksgiving and hopefulness are woven through the saga of accompanying an infuriating, deeply loved parent to his death. The timeline of this memoir intersects with the beginning of the COVID pandemic, which made everything more complicated. Because the author is a pastoral theologian and preacher, biblical reflection is woven into the narrative, as well as reflections on mortality from other sources. Throughout, the author probes deeply into the realities of her own aging and death, providing insights that will be helpful to thoughtful readers of all ages as well as to other caregivers.