“… slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.”
This quote, borrowed in part from poet and pilot John Gillespie McGee, Jr., was used by President Ronald Reagan to honor the seven astronauts killed in the Challenger shuttle explosion. I was in the 6th grade when I first heard this phrase. In a tiny schoolroom in remote West Texas, President Reagan’s speech was broadcast and replayed over the intercom system to us, just children, who couldn’t comprehend death. Even so, I remember being struck by the imagery and beautiful language. It is a vivid description of the aeronautical ascent prior to the tragedy and their journey from this life to what follows.
I knew that experiencing death in medicine would come. Like storm clouds that are forecast, approach, build, then darken prior to releasing their torrent, I expected the experience of death. Not one of us is immune to it. Personally and professionally, it approaches. I knew this. In some ways, I was prepared for it. The form and razor sharp blade it would wield, I was not prepared for.
Death is ugly. My wife described it as an “ugly invader”; moving in and interrupting our lives, our dreams, our very breath. We spend billions of dollars on training, medicines, interventions, and spells and charms to keep it at bay, but yet it remains. An ugly invader it is, pursuing us all.
Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
No comments:
Post a Comment