Memoir

For many years, I've kept the habit of browsing through the best book list from Goodreads recommendation site, and will never run out of books to borrow.

One of the real surprises this year is The Beauty in Breaking, a memoir written by an emergency room physician Michele Harper. Looking past the years (and tears) of healing gunshot wound victims, resuscitating neonates, juggling between intoxicated patients and bed debt, Harper has shared many heartfelt lessons she has learned.

Among much else, her navigation through night shifts has touched a raw chord within most doctors. Harper states the cold, hard truth: "Night shifts are always inconvenient and much like hangovers: The older you get, the hard they are to recover from. For some, they are a badge of honor; those types sprint them like marathons, race after race, year after year, with the stamina of a long-distance runner."

One can't help but think of bleary-eyed Michele Harper, kept awake by the sound and aroma of the percolating coffeemaker. I can always find my similarity with her liking for extra-dark coffee, as what she calls "the elixir of life."

Of course, coffee is our life. How could it not?