Go Gently, Sandpiper... John Barwick's Story

Book excerpt: John Barwick made some questionable decisions in his life which might have caused him to miss the chances that would eventually allow him to live the life he was destined for. He was born in Yorkshire, England and was sent away to boarding school at an early age by his father to make something of himself. And he did. He studied medicine and became a general practitioner. He met Alice when she was a student nurse and loved her from afar for many years but she flew away to Australia, like a common sandpiper, and he missed his chance with her. When their paths crossed many years later, John had already become a father with a son that he didn’t meet until he was a teenager. He had also been to the Vietnam War and he came home changed. He had been married, and divorced, with a second son who was profoundly deaf, when he finally found love and contentment in his world. In his retirement he took up Alice’s legacy and vowed to assist his patients die a good death in the manner of their choosing. He was a good man, who eventually had a good life, and his fictional story is both touching and insightful.