An international human becoming hermeneutic study of Tom Hegg's A cup of Christmas Tea

• Published in: Nursing science quarterly Vol. 14; no. 4; p. 316
• Main Authors: Baumann, S L, Carroll, K A, Damgaard, G A, Millar, B, Welch, A J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.2001
• Subjects: Humans; Medicine in Literature; Nursing Theory; Poetry as Topic
• ISSN: 0894-3184
• DOI: 10.1177/08943180122108625

This article seeks to contribute to human becoming theory and to nursing by providing an international human becoming hermeneutic study of Thomas Hegg's A Cup of Christmas Tea. The human becoming hermeneutic method was used in this study to discover emergent meanings about human experiences. Guided by the method, the authors discovered three emergent meanings: honoring the cherished; communing with the was, is, and will be; and triumphing with new vision. These meanings were synthesized by the authors. A Cup of Christmas Tea is the story of the way triumphing with new vision arises with honoring the cherished in communing with the was, is, and will be. The conclusion for families and nurses is that by remaining open to all possibilities that exist in each now, moments of serendipitous togetherness can transform human trepidation and negative views of later life.