When we suffer personally, and when we encounter the suffering of another person, we are confronted with many questions. A taken-forgranted and apparently robust future now jeopardized leaves in its place a hollow of uncertainty and fragility. Painfully unsettling, suffering seems to call forth a natural human proclivity to distance oneself from the specter of vulnerability. Understandably there is a tendency for healthcare professionals to protect ourselves from the ravages of suffering encountered in the lives of the persons we care for. We do this by relating from a distance even though this is incongruent with our commitment to remain engaged and to care compassionately. This volume calls us.
