Only Love Remains

The powerful stories in this book convey lessons from the dying on the meaning of life and raise the important question of the relative roles of euthanasia and palliative care. The space given by palliative care assists the dying process 'in a world that denies death and regards the time of dying as a useless, painful and absurd time.' The implication is that it is better to limit this time rather than live through it, yet there are precious lessons to be gained in this liminal period. The request for euthanasia often conceals anguish and despair and the feeling of being a burden - yet the dying can remind us of what really matters in life, especially love and forgiveness of which there are a number of examples in the 20 or so case histories. I think the author is right when he maintains that 'the greatest desire the dying is to have their needs and fears listen to; to be acknowledged as people have relationships and the role they can still play, and to be respected for their dignity as people, neither compromised nor conditioned by their illness.' As Monika Renz points out in her book reviewed in the last issue, this period is an opportunity to free ourselves from our conditioning and the clutter of existence that accumulates during the frenzied business of living.' As he says, at the end only love remains.