Author's New Book Explores Life's Meaning Amidst Terminal Illness
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Noga Goldring, an Israeli author and drama therapist, has released her third book, "Touching What Melts," about a spiritual companion and a man with terminal cancer. Goldring, who experienced sudden deafness and previously worked with inmates, now volunteers as a spiritual companion. The book, inspired by her own life and training, explores finding meaning and confronting life's end with presence and forgiveness. It draws on her experiences with loss, including her husband's son's death.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Author Noga Goldring released her third book, "Touching What Melts," about life's meaning amidst terminal illness.
- Goldring experienced sudden deafness and previously worked as a drama therapist in prison.
- She now volunteers as a spiritual companion, accompanying individuals at the end of their lives.
- The book incorporates elements from Goldring's life and her training in spiritual companionship.
- Her work and writing are influenced by personal loss and Buddhist philosophy.
Noga Goldring, a drama therapist and author, has released her third book, "Touching What Melts," which delves into the profound encounters between a spiritual companion and a man with terminal cancer. The book, published by "Hebrew Creation," explores themes of finding meaning in life even when facing death. Goldring, 63, a Tel Aviv resident, mother of two, and grandmother of three, is also the partner of Professor Mooli Lahad, a medical psychologist.
Goldring's own life experiences have shaped her perspective. She experienced sudden deafness in her right ear while on vacation in Tuscany, a condition she describes as "dead ear," which also led to significant hearing loss in her other ear. This personal health crisis, coupled with her past work as a drama therapist at the Hermon Prison with drug addicts and inmates convicted of domestic violence, has informed her writing and her volunteer work.
She is also a volunteer spiritual companion with the "Partners in Journey" association, an organization that trains and supports individuals who accompany people nearing the end of their lives. Goldring emphasizes that her role is not to advise or solve problems, but to be present with compassion and understanding, helping individuals find completion, meaning, and forgiveness during their final days.
The book, while not directly based on a true story, incorporates elements from Goldring's life. She was inspired to write it after a meditation during a spiritual companion training retreat, where the characters of the book appeared and asked her to tell their story. The title reflects a choice to engage with vulnerability and the finiteness of life, rather than to distance oneself from it.
Goldring's journey has also been marked by personal loss, including the sudden death of her father at age 60 and her mother, and the tragic death of her husband's son, Omri, who went missing and was found deceased in Colombia in 2009. These experiences, alongside her Buddhist practice, have influenced her understanding of suffering and the importance of confronting it with awareness.