Death be not Proud

Death be Not Proud is written by John Gunther about his son, John Gunther Junior, who suffered a severe brain tumor at the age of 16-17. This kind of illness was such that all the doctors felt he could die at any minute. Neurologists and doctors from all over the country try different methods to see if they can cure or prolong the illness, and the parents do everything they can to help Johnny out. The most miraculous part is that Johnny lived longer than anyone expected, and his whole attitude astounded everyone that came in contact with him. He would always tell the nurses and doctors, "I hope I'm not causing you any trouble." He had a passion for knowledge, keeping up with school, doing experiments, helping with his dad's novel, and even taking an entrance exam to Harvard...And being admitted! He was very intelligent, spirited, and loving.

In Johnny's own words he states, "Live while you live, then die and be done with it...Get yourself off your Hands. Happiness is in Love. Accept disappointments. Relieve oneself by confession of sins. I am growing up at last...Be spontaneous and aware. Love!" Johnny wrote all of this in a diary that his parents gave him. The final words he wrote were an ancient Hebrew toast, "L'chaim" which means To Life.

His mother concludes the book in what I consider a beautiful conclusion. For the sake of the shortness of this blog, I will only quote the last part. She wrote:

"What does it mean? What can it mean now?...It means obliterating, in a curious but real way, the ideas of evil and hate and the enemy, and transmuting them, with the alchemy of suffering, into the ideas of clarity and charity. It means caring more and more about other people, at home and abroad, all over the earth. It means caring more about God."

To conclude about the book, I will leave you with Johnny's, "Unbeliever's Prayer" that he wrote May of 1946. Whether you agree with it or not, it is still thought provoking.

"Almighty God forgive me for my agnosticism. For I shall try to keep it gentle, not cynical, nor a bad influence. And O! If Thou art truly in the heavens, accept my gratitude for all Thy gifts and I shall try to fight the good fight. Amen."