Margaret E. Mohrmann – författare

In a fast-paced, complicated, and evermore dangerous world it is easy to become self-absorbed and consumed with our own problems. There is one place, however, where we put our self-centered concerns aside, and our deep, common humanity is profoundly touched. That place is where sick children dwell. It is no less difficult - and perhaps even more difficult in many ways - for physicians who have chosen to attend to the health and well-being of gravely ill or dying children. Margaret Mohrmann has devoted most of her professional life to them, and in "Attending Children" she shares the remarkable education those children and their families have given her. Her narratives are both painful and hopeful, tragic and funny, full of remarkable characters and sometimes bizarre families. Mohrmann has sifted through her thirty years as a pediatrician, and with poignancy, humor, and uncompromising honesty, she shares her sometimes stumbling but always deeply caring journey through a land where, sometimes, small hands have to be let go too soon. She introduces us to not only the physical challenges she, her colleagues, and her patients encounter, but the spiritual ones as well."Attending Children" is a unique experience as Mohrmann takes the reader on a doctor's rounds over many years to meet the faces and the struggles, the heartaches and the joys of being a pediatrician. In the case of Margaret Mohrmann and her patients, no one could ask for better teachers.

Proposes a morally transformative concept that places the act of welcoming at the core of ethical living and human flourishing. This radical approach asserts that welcome is not merely a virtue or an act of kindness, but the foundational practice from which all other ethical behaviors arise. Through this lens, welcome becomes the primary orientation through which individuals and communities can achieve a harmonious and just society.The authors contend that being a welcoming person involves a deep, ongoing moral commitment that impacts every interaction and relationship. This obligation is mutual, extending to everyone in all settings, from healthcare environments to everyday social encounters. Welcome, they assert, is not only intertwined with responsibility but precedes it, providing the necessary openness to understand and fulfill our ethical obligations.The book's structure reflects its content, offering a series of “patterns”—interconnected stories, reflections, and practical examples—rather than a linear argument. These patterns illustrate how welcome influences human interaction, showing both its positive effects when present and the harm that results from its absence. Through this exploration, the authors encourage readers to embrace welcome in all aspects of life, suggesting that this practice is essential for creating inclusive, thriving communities.Drawing on rich personal experiences in law, medicine, and theology, the authors ground their discussion in real-world stories and case studies—including the case of an Australian couple living near a cliff who have saved over 500 suicidal people from jumping to their death—where the stakes of welcome are high. Welcome is both a practical guide and an introduction to a new way of understanding the world, inviting readers to engage in the ongoing, dynamic process of becoming more welcoming and, by extension, more ethical in their everyday lives.