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FOREWORD

Mary has been a friend of mine for a long time now and I am utterly delighted that Blessings has been updated and made available for another generation of readers.

Reading it again by the fire here in Stratford-upon-Avon, I found myself in tears and then laughter in the space of five minutes. My emotions were like April weather: showers one minute, sun the next. Mary’s mother was prophetic when she wanted to christen her daughter Dolores, ‘the child of grief’. Mary wryly writes, ‘I had a rare escape there!’ What a woman she is. Most of us would have crumpled under the cards life has dealt her.

This book has two incredible strengths. The first is the story. This is not actually a story but raw, real life. It’s not a ‘story’ where you can shut the book and say ‘The end’; it carries on. The second strength is Mary’s skill in communication. I’m always struck by her honesty, humour, tolerance of human weakness and her attitude to suffering. Her philosophy is ‘Everyone suffers, but it’s how you deal with your particular dose of suffering that matters.’

This book is about a family who outwardly had the lot: breeding, intelligence, education, money, good jobs. Then slowly life began to unravel into a nightmare. The initial sense of overwhelming horror was followed by resentment – ‘Why me?’ – and, finally, ‘Get on with it.’

I think Blessings should be made compulsory reading for all doctors. When you read on you will understand why I want to include this point in my foreword.

It’s a great book and I commend it to you with all my heart.

Sarah Kennedy

Stratford-upon-Avon

February 1998