Currently reading
The 5th Wave
14
The Light Between Oceans: A Novel
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It
Clockwork Princess
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness
Love Medicine
Love Medicine: Newly Revised Edition
The Middle Place
Yesterday, I finished listening to The Middle Place and wept. At 36, Kelly Corrigan's life seems perfect. She and her husband are doing well living and working in the Bay Area and she is embracing motherhood with 2 young girls. Even though she is an adult, she still sees herself as George Corrigan's only daughter. Her father, who is described as larger-than-life, still remains a major part of her life. She is in the 'Middle Place' between when our parents are everything and we are the parents. And then things change. Kelly is diagnosed with breast cancer and her father is diagnosed with late-stage bladder cancer. This beautifully told memoir describes Kelly's childhood as a daughter of George Corrigan and her life as she deals not only with her own cancer, but as a family member of someone who has cancer. This book touched me in so many ways. It reminded me of when my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer - the frustration of wanting a solution, a cure and discovering that there are no formulas or flow charts to follow that provide a 'right' answer. It reminded me of dealing with my parents' health issues remotely - and those 'fun' family discussions among siblings about what to do next. But what made me cry was knowing that all of us who are still in 'the middle place' will eventually leave when our parents die, and although we will be fine living our own adult lives, there will be a heartbreaking loss of no longer being someone's daughter.
