The Angel Letters: Lessons That Dying Can Teach us About Living

Working in the children’s cancer unit of a New York hospital for fifteen years, Norman Fried has been psychotherapist and counselor to both physically ill children and their worried families and friends. He has been part of scenes of bitterness and pain-and has observed how these sad moments have taught all concerned about life’s important lessons. Sitting at the bedsides of children with life-threatening cancer, he has been sadly fortunate to hear their messages of hope and love, which have taught him how to help those they were leaving behind. The Angel Letters is his extraordinary book based on his experiences. It is intended for the living but is composed in the form of letters addressed to a dozen different children whose last days and months he shared intimately. From each experience he draws a lesson-in love, family, courage, belonging, etc.-that can help parents and family learn to suffer through the tragedy of their sick or lost child, drawing strength from their understanding of what has happened and from an appreciation for their child’s perspective. No story ends in death, Dr. Fried writes, not in this book, and not in life. What happens after death is ours to ponder and struggle with. Some questions remain unanswered. But how a family lives after a death, how we as mourners can carry on-these are the questions I wrestle with here. In The Angel Letters he proves to be an inspiring companion for this difficult journey.