How Can I Help?: Stories and Reflections on ServiceDiscover how giving of yourself can lead to some of the most joyous moments in your life—in a book that “deserves a special place on that shelf reserved for truly practical wisdom" (Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People). Not a day goes by without our being called upon to help one another--at home, at work, on the street, on the phone…. We do what we can. Yet so much comes up to complicate this natural response: "Will I have what it takes?" "How much is enough?" "How can I deal with suffering?" "And what really helps, anyway?" In this practical helper's companion, the authors explore a path through these confusions, and provide support and inspiration for us in our efforts as members of the helping professions, as volunteers, as community activists, or simply as friends and family trying to meet each other's needs. Here too are deeply moving personal accounts: A housewife brings zoo animals to lift the spirits of nursing home residents; a nun tends the wounded on the first night of the Nicaraguan revolution; a police officer talks a desperate father out of leaping from a roof with his child; a nurse allows an infant to spend its last moments of life in her arms rather than on a hospital machine. From many such stories and the authors' reflections, we can find strength, clarity, and wisdom for those times when we are called on to care for one another. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
able action allow asked awareness beauty become begin bring chance child clear comes compassion continue course deeper don't example experience eyes face fall fear feel felt finally give greater hands happening hard hear heart helplessness hold human it's keep kids kind less listen lives look lost mean meet mind moment moments move natural never notice offer once ourselves pain peace Perhaps person perspective play possible question reach reactions recognize resistance response roles seemed seen sense separateness simply situation social someone Sometimes spirit started stay stopped suddenly suffering sure talk tell that's there's things thought tion truth turn understand unity walk watch we're what's whole Witness wonderful