Stay with Me I Want to Be Alone

<p>Keith Wakefield became a chaplain because of Guns N' Roses. As a child burdened by fear of failure he was inspired by Axl Rose's heart-on-his-sleeve honesty. That raw search for meaning carried him into chaplaincy where every day he sits with patients and families facing overwhelming loss end-of-life diagnoses and the questions that come with them: <em>How do I go on? Where do I find strength? What really matters now?</em></p><p></p><p>In <em>Stay with Me I Want to Be Alone</em> Wakefield invites readers into the hidden world of hospital chaplaincy - where grief support spiritual care and the search for meaning collide. With stories that are sometimes heartbreaking sometimes funny and always human he shows what it means to be fully present at the bedside of the dying.</p><p></p><p>This deeply personal spiritual memoir blends humor vulnerability and insight to reveal:</p><ul><li>What chaplains really do in hospitals and at the end of life.</li><li>Practical lessons on grief presence and how to support others through suffering.</li><li>Honest stories that move from boredom to hilarity panic to peace devastating loss to unexpected grace.</li></ul><p></p><p>Written with candor wit and reverence Wakefield offers an unforgettable look at death dying and what the living can learn from both. Vulnerable and curious sometimes snarky and irreverent his lyrical voice carries the clarity and hope of a true spiritual traveler.</p><p></p><p><em>For readers of memoirs on grief end-of-life care and spiritual growth. This book belongs alongside titles by Atul Gawande Kate Bowler and Paul Kalanithi.</em></p><p></p><p><strong>Made me laugh cry and want to become a chaplain. </strong>-Neil Wenger MD MPH</p><p><strong>Seamlessly weaves memoir and chaplaincy into universal human truth. </strong>-James A. Hynds PhD</p><p><strong>A masterclass in healing through genuine presence.</strong> -Robyn L. Hacker PhD</p><p><strong>Brings humanity humor and reverence to chaplaincy. </strong>-Rev. Gina Harvey ACPE CE BCC</p><p><strong>Rare transparency... a heartfelt perspective unlike any other. </strong>-Mary D. Farah Hospital Chaplain</p><p><strong>Brilliant storytelling that delights and instructs.</strong> -Angela Song BCC</p><p><strong>Disarmingly honest and captivating... a vindication of spiritual care. </strong>-Vanessa Able The Dewdrop</p>