This section contains reader responses to COLUMBA and to articles from issue 03|2016. Mark Castens praises the magazine for addressing a difficult social topic in a versatile, close-to-life, moving and factual way. He supports distributing the magazine in pharmacies and waiting rooms so that society can become better informed.
Julia Sommerlade responds to the phrase “With negativity, power can be created” from the article on idiolectics. For her, the sentence says much about hierarchy in society and raises the question of how much self-determination remains for a seriously ill or dying person. She emphasizes communication at eye level, respect for wishes and needs, and the courage to walk a difficult path.
Peggy Hoffmann comments on the article about spiritual care and communication. She values the attention given to silence, pauses, distance and closeness, and writes that good communication also requires courage: the courage to step beyond one's own shadows and choose life-affirming moments with love and attentiveness.
Gunilla Göttlicher describes COLUMBA as an unusual and aesthetically beautiful magazine: bright, clear, tactile and inviting. She appreciates the depth, information and practical suggestions in the texts and wants to share them with colleagues in her palliative care team.
