Finding the Healer Within

Recently I read a wonderful book, The Tennis Partner, by Abraham Verghese MD.

In it Verghese describes his friendship with a medical resident who plays beautiful tennis, is brilliant at patient care, and who fills a deep need for companionship during Verghese's marital separation. Unfortunately, the friend also turns out to be addicted to cocaine.

The author's ability to honestly share his own feelings is rare in medicine, since many of us try to run from emotions we might think are 'negative'. But Verghese expresses pain, jealousy, anger, and intense grief along with compassion, humor, and authentic love for patients, students, family, and work. Also he details minute, earthy characteristics of his surroundings and those who people his life. Through this kind of writing, we are present: seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and almost tasting everything.

I could not put the book down.

Writing a book like this takes courage, and yet it also must be like a rushing rapid at times; the story and experience must come out. The author is a witness to what flows through him or her. Not all are as honest with this as Verghese, though. When your soul writes the book, people can feel it; also, their own pain resonates to the surface to be re-experienced and dealt with. Perhaps healing can come about in this way too.

There is a Healer within each of us, which can awaken when others' harmonics call. Verghese wrote his book with purpose and intent, and it could certainly have served his healing from the loss of an intelligent, talented, yet vulnerable friend. However, it was also no accident that I picked up the book, and reacted to myself and ungrieved prior losses through it. With those, there was more acknowledgement and releasing to do.

I am grateful, Dr. Verghese, for your gift. I am grateful also to the Healer within all of us.