An inevitable part of life is the end of it. No one cheats death, of course. But most of us don’t know exactly when our time will be up. Longtime Boston Globe reporter Jack Thomas is an exception.
The text below is a short excerpt from Jack Thomas's radio commentary, which Cognoscenti produced with permission from The Boston Globe. You can read the original full-length essay here: "." The editors would like to thank Jack, his wife, Geri, and Globe editor Francis Storrs for their partnership in bringing this piece to WBUR's audience.
Several years ago, in pursuit of a degree at Harvard at the ripe old age of 70, I took a seminar in essay writing. Each week we had to compose an essay, and one week, I imagined that I had been told by doctors that I would die within a few months. In the essay, I pulled out all the stops. I described whom and what I’d miss. I wrote that I hoped for a comfortable afterlife, and wondered if I’d be able to hear my favorite music, choose savory foods, and even whether my newspaper would arrive on time.
To my great surprise, my classmates — who were all much younger than I — took my essay literally. They held the door for me, and they heaped praise on my writing. I never had the courage to tell them it wasn’t true.After a week of blood tests and scans, I have been diagnosed with cancer. It’s inoperable.As the saying goes, fate has dealt me one from the bottom of the deck, and I am now condemned to confront the question that has plagued me for years: How will I spend the final months of my life.
Jack Thomas and his wife, Geri Denterlein, pictured in 2016 with children: from left, Jennifer Thomas Rando, John Patrick Thomas and Faith Thomas Tracy.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jack Ma’s Ant Boosts Consumer-Finance Unit With $3.5 Billion FundraisingThe consumer-finance arm of China’s Ant Group is boosting its financial firepower with a $3.5 billion capital increase, with the biggest chunk of outside funding coming from a powerful state-owned institution
Read more »
‘Hawkeye’ Director Rhys Thomas Talks Season Finale, Kingpin and Managing MCU ContinuityHawkeye isn’t as buff as Captain America, as obnoxiously sexy as Iron Man, as beautiful and mysterious as Natasha Romanoff, as boyishly charming as Spider-Man, as brawny and brainy as Hulk or a him…
Read more »
Fans Flip After Thomas Rhett's Wife Lauren Akins Shares Stunning Holiday Photo as 'Family of 6'In celebration of the holiday season, Thomas Rhett, Lauren Atkins, and their girls took their first family of six Christmas photo.
Read more »
For 19-Year-Old Xiye Bastida, Joy Is an Essential Part of Climate ActivismThe star of Levi's Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign tells ELLE.com: “We're choosing this line of work for life.”
Read more »
Divorced Parents A Little Hurt Child’s Christmas List Doesn’t Include Heartbreaking Wish For Them To Get Back TogetherDAYTON, OH—Expressing disappointment at the evident lack of concern for their failed relationship, divorced parents Tim Foster and Eva Ferguson admitted Thursday to being “a little hurt” that the recently completed Christmas list submitted by their daughter Kayla, 8, included no heartfelt but ultimately unrealistic…
Read more »
What to do with that end-of-year pile of receipts? Make (a little) money off of itMarket research firms pay for insight into how we spend. Use these tips to earn a little bit back off your holiday shopping bills.
Read more »