When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

What a brave and heroic way to live and die. I was inspired by Paul Kalanithi's approach to life and his continuous quest to learn and experience what it means to live a life of quality and meaning. Just when many of us would give up the fight and settle in and let illness guide our lives, Kalanithi decided to strive to accomplish his goals and live his passions - what gave his life meaning (gaining wisdom, family, friends, helping others).

This memoir is very tragic and sad but I loved how Kalanithi embraced and accepted death at the end as a natural part of the life cycle. His courage, dignity and integrity in the face of such an awful illness reminded me that although death is not something we strive for it is something we will all experience at some time. Yes, the unknown is always scary but death, too, is a part of life and must be embraced. I truly hope that when my time comes that I will be ready to accept death with grace, dignity and no regrets. I also hope that those that have been part of my life will have felt that I loved them fully and deeply and that I leave them having given all that I could.

My Thoughts: Truly inspirational. Highly recommended. Read-a-likes Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom.