Open AccessA Heartfelt Look at an Inviting Life
Author(s) -
Tony Monahan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of invitational theory and practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1060-6041
DOI - 10.26522/jitp.v22i.3506
Subject(s) - memoir , wife , tragedy (event) , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , power (physics) , psychoanalysis , psychology , medicine , art , art history , literature , disease , law , political science , pathology , physics , quantum mechanics
Being personally inviting is to be a beneficial presence for oneself and others (Purkey & Novak, 2015). But how does this occur during a tragedy? Until I say Goodbye: My year of Living with Joy is the first-person account of the life struggle of 44 year old Susan, a journalist, wife, and mother of three who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative disease that destroys the nerves that power the muscles. Instead of fighting the disease with medical treatments, Susan decided to live one last year enjoying the company of her family and friends with a series of outings and trips. As her muscles deteriorated, Susan wrote her memoir – eventually reduced to writing with just her thumb on her iPhone.