Review of "Caring in Remembered Ways"
By Maggie Steincrohn DavisHeartsong Books, 1999
Review by Ruth Cherry, Ph.D. on Nov 7th 2001

Davis is at her most heart felt when she describes the condition
of the invalid. She exhibits great empathy as she writes about
the sick or dying person lying in bed, needing help but hesitating
to ask, and being afraid in his isolation. She displays exquisite
sensitivity to the issues of privacy, powerlessness, conflict
about voicing requests, shame, loneliness, fear, and especially
vulnerability. The book's finest moments lie in her ability to
teach compassion.
us all, human beings included. What if we had faith that seeing this deeply - and embracing this widely -
were our ticket to becoming as whole as we have ever dreamed of being?" (p. 75)
Davis suggests that a "Caring Quotient" may be the "true measure of our children's education . . . equivalent to the depth and breadth of their ability to love." She thereby offers us a new paradigm for living, one which, these days, is most welcome.
I recommend Caring in Remembered Ways to anyone who is
responsible for another's physical care and to those experiencing
loss on any level. It is an especially valuable book for those
practical, grounded folks who may never have considered the subtleties
and intricacies of extreme vulnerability.
© 2001 Ruth Cherry
Ruth Cherry, Ph.D., author of Open Your Heart, A Mid-Life Fable