In the book I've been reading lately, “On Living” by Kerry Egan, she shares so many powerful stories — each story a parting gift from a hospice (救济院) patient who never knew when a newly arriving might be their last.

    What a profound (深刻的) way to live! In a sense, I guess we all live that way, each and every day. But as I read this book, I get the feeling that only hospice patients really know this. Sometimes I realize it, like when I am faced with a choice to work more to earn more money or to go to spend the day with a loved one and earn no money. On the one hand, money, income, rent. On the other hand, love, connection, moments that make life feel like worth living for.

    Near the end of “On Living,” Egan shares a story about a patient she calls Linda. Events from decades past were preserved in their mind like precious heirlooms(传家宝), but a new face could be forgotten in as little time as it took to leave the room and return again.

    Linda said that she spent her days trying to be caring. She shared: We shower so much love on babies and children. But as we grow up, it stops. No one showers love on grown-ups. Life gets harder, not easier, but we stop loving each other so much, just when we need love most. She then went on to say: One day, when I was lying here, I realized how God is. He is so old. He must need so much love. People are always demanding so much from him, but who is there to shower him with love? So I thought that was something I could do. That's what I do all day: I try to love God....I can lie here and love God and maybe it will help him.

    This is the kind of story that I find impossibly inspiring and provides great impetus for me to make a change. Luckily, I read it on one of the former and it made me realize that there is always a way to help. There is always something we can do. We don't have to be brave, able-bodied or even of particularly sound(健全的) mind to contribute to the good. We can be caring. We can love. We can be the very love that we need.