Dear Life: A Doctor's Story of Love, Loss and Consolation

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I always had that feeling of him as a colossus I could turn to, no matter what the problem. When he was four or five weeks away from death and very frail, he saw how filthy my car windscreen was when I’d driven to see him and – apologies because it might make me cry – all of a sudden, our roles flipped. I’d been caring for him. But he said: “Rachel – how can you see out of that?” And I said: “I don’t really do cars – my husband does.” And he said: “For God’s sake, you’re a woman in your 40s.” And he insisted on getting out a plastic container of screen-wash and a little funnel because, being Dad, all these things were meticulously arranged. He was so frail, he could hardly lift the bonnet and pour in the detergent. It took him 20 minutes. Yet he was being the colossus again. And I had this childish involuntary pang: I don’t want to lose that in my life. It is two years since his death and he is always there in my head but it’s rare to allow myself to think about him because it’s too painful. Isn’t it incredible how enduring the pain of losing someone you love is? In our digital age, listening can seem a rebellious and subversive act Kylie Jenner names which sister is the closest to daughter Stormi... and even calls her a 'second mother' to everyone including herself

Girls' night out! Queen Máxima of the Netherlands stuns in a sensational shimmering gown as she steps out solo in Paris with Brigitte Macron The author alternates her patients’ stories with her own in a completely natural way. She documents her early interest in medicine and her handful of brushes with death in a manner reminiscent of Maggie O’Farrell in I Am, I Am, I Am. Death only came up once in her five years of medical school – on the first day, when students were shown the film Wit, based on a play about a woman with terminal ovarian cancer. Clarke decries that dearth of discussion about mortality by the medical community and in society at large. (“Death is taboo for many reasons, not least the fear that it might just be catching.”) She also reflects on the contradictory demands placed on doctors: they should be compassionate, but also detached; they should be cautious, but also willing to take risks. “We want them human, empathetic, caring – but only up to a point.”Kate Middleton proves Omid Scobie's cruel Stepford Wife jibes are far from the truth - from abseiling cliffs in Wales to confident speeches The vicious royal assassination that shames even Harry and Meghan's odious cheerleader: MAUREEN CALLAHAN - who's read Omid Scobie's Endgame so you don't have to - is horrified at its unblushing cruelty

Ad Feature From luxury skincare to must-have make-up collections - get Christmas all wrapped up with dream gifts... Suffering sleepless nights? Tossing and turning? Find your slumber solutions with MyPillow, the most comfortable pillow you'll ever own... GUARANTEED! Joe Swash says I'm A Celebrity holds a 'special place' in his heart after meeting wife Stacey Solomon in the jungle 13 years ago As a specialist in palliative medicine, Dr Rachel Clarke chooses to inhabit a place many people would find too tragic to contemplate. Every day she tries to bring care and comfort to those reaching the end of their lives and to help make dying more bearable. Dear Life is a book about the vital importance of human connection, by the doctor we would all want by our sides at a time of crisis. It is a love letter - to a father, to a profession, to life itself. Our NHS staff are nothing less than absolute heroes in my eyes, and I hope telling this story goes a little way towards us understanding their truth, their lived experience and honouring their unbelievable commitment and sacrifice on behalf of us all.”Travis Kelce appears to wear a Vegas STRIP CLUB t-shirt as he greets fans after Chiefs' win over Raiders - before returning to Kansas City