Leaning into Sharp Points – 50BookPledge – Book 11

Leaning into Sharp Points ~ Dr. Stan Goldberg

practical guidance and nurturing support for caregivers

This is a response that is long overdue. Not because I read the book long ago and didn’t write it, but because I received a complimentary copy from the author to read and review back in March. It’s not a difficult read from the standpoint of its writing, nor is it overly long, I simply had to put it down a couple of times because the topics being covered were more difficult for me to read than I’d anticipated at the time. From a grieving perspective, I simply wasn’t where I thought I was yet as I began reading.

I did not have an opportunity to research what it is to be a caregiver before my role as a participant in my mother’s care had come and gone. Her time requiring our care was ultimately short and left no time to consider what it might even mean for those us who cared for her.

Dr. Goldberg has a lot of experience in a multitude of ways with the topics of hospice and caregiving. He has written a book for caregivers that addressed the caregiver’s role and what they need to know from a personal perspective. It’s written such that as a caregiver of a loved one I can know what to expect and have some inkling of how I might handle specific situations as they arise. He approaches the topic with care and concern. His sensitivity for the intimacy of this relationship comes through clearly.

While I found the book especially relevant for those providing long term care of a terminally or chronically ill loved one, pieces of it were relevant even in the short caregiving relationship I had with my mom. What I found might be especially useful for caregivers is the practical information provided. Such as a short description of what active dieing looks like, or how to approach problems with memory or changes in personality, such that the impact on how we provide care to our loved ones can be as positive as possible.

I would happily recommend Leaning Into Sharp Points to anyone faced with the decision to care for their loved one. I hope it can bring the kind of guidance and support that Dr. Goldberg intends by it during one of the most challenging times that may ever be faced.