Hey Reddit! My dad is in his early 70s, and while he’s still active and healthy, it seems like he been thinking lately about how much time he has left. His mom passed away this summer, and as he’s her only surviving child, he was with her through the final stages. Since then, he seems like he’s changed a little bit.
He was a Bible teacher for a while, so he’s always talked a lot about religion, but those conversations used to be more academic. Lately, he’s shifted to more spiritual concerns, asking questions about whether God exists, what might come after death, and the like. I doubt he’d admit it, but it seems like he’s trying to come to grips with his own mortality.
In the past, I’ve gotten him nonfiction books for Christmas, often on the topic of religion. With where he is in his life right now, though, I’d like to get him something that can truly help him in his journey towards self-fulfillment. He mainly reads nonfiction, and I’m not a big nonfiction reader, so I’ve had to rely on reviews and recommendations in the past. This time, though, I’m really struggling to find a good fit. I don’t think a book that overtly addresses making peace with dying would make a great gift, but I want to get him something that might bring him some comfort as he struggles with these bigger questions. Any suggestions?
by friendsfreak
2 Comments
*The Five People You Meet in Heaven*, maybe
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
by Sogyal Rinpoche if he’s open to learn about it through different religious/spiritual lens.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is arguably a must.