In The End

Before I put patients to sleep for their colonoscopies, I ask if they have any questions. Many comically reply, “Doc, what’s the meaning of life?” I always reply that their question cannot be answered because there is no one meaning to life, but instead the question should be, what gives meaning to their individual life? In the first half of In The End, five characters search for what gives meaning to their lives. They sort through issues such as religion, their relationship with God, homosexuality, abuse, loss of a loved one, ambition, economic disparity, and life after death. About a decade ago, I decided that there had to be one single meaning to life and I endeavored to find it. In the second half of the book, the characters are brought together to search for the meaning to life. It is finally left up to five identical characters from a parallel universe visiting Earth 2000 years later to espouse the true meaning to life which has led their planet to great love, harmony, and achievement. The story is filled with quotes, philosophies, and traditions from many spiritual paths. My aim is to engage you-not convert you. This book is broader than any one religious tradition.