In Awe of Being Human by Betsy MacGregor is a physician’s reflection on living, healing, and dying set amidst the challenging world of hospitals and hospices, the medical professionals who work in them, and the ever-present mystery of life and death. Filled with deeply moving tales of the children and adults who have been the author’s patients, together with descriptions of the soul-stretching experiences that doctors and other caregivers undergo in seeking to help people whose lives are at stake, the book delivers a tender and powerfully positive message about what it means to be human.
Why it matters: In Awe of Being Human reveals what happens at the edge of life and death — not as a clinical tragedy but as a profound encounter with the mystery of being human—offering perspective too often missing from both medical training and public understanding of healthcare. By sharing stories of patients alongside the soul-stretching experiences of caregivers, MacGregor honors both those who face death and those who accompany them, illuminating the mutual transformation that occurs in these encounters. The powerfully positive message amidst such challenging territory demonstrates that awe, tenderness, and meaning can be found precisely where we most fear to look.
