Book excerpt: Sharing Life with Another is about the compassion, care and loss experienced when being with others during their end stages of life. The nine stories in this book follow a social worker who finds himself on a journey helping others, including both his parents, as they move toward death. Each story offers an insightful and touching account of how Shmal entered into circumstances where he was the one present to offer words and actions to comfort the person dying. These stories offer help to anyone who may be confronted with death and have to dive into their soul as they assist a person through the process. We learn that at times it is about knowing when to reach for the right words to share with another. Then there are moments when we need the sensitivity simply to be present, holding the space for the other. Many people are now on spiritual paths where the fear of dying is no longer kept hidden, but rather acknowledged and grappled with. These stories also offer wisdom and guidance for each of us as we prepare for our own transition from this life. The author has no clue why the work of helping dying people came into his life. After reading the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying he was hired as the Director of Social Services in a nursing home. There he felt pulled to be with many as they neared death.