The Doctor by Sir Luke Fildes, 1887
There is much more to the art of healing than just closing a surgical incision, dressing a wound or writing a prescription. Medical practice is after all the stuff of life; and because literature historically has been an attempt to capture the essence of what it means to be alive, it is small wonder that the two complement each other so beautifully.
None of us can be all things to all men; but we can certainly make some fumbling attempts to alleviate suffering in the world and bear one another’s burdens as best we can. As Rilke so aptly put it, perhaps if we learn to love the questions themselves, we can one day live on into the answers. more»
Brian T. Maurer has practiced pediatrics as a Physician Assistant for thirty years. His "Marginal Notes" column appears periodically in the Cell2Soul Blog. The title "Marginal Notes" is taken from a quote by Henry David Thoreau: "I love a broad margin to my life."
