It is sad to know people are diagnosed with a terminal illness every day, and most don’t understand what will happen to their mind and body as they die. Just as bad is that most of their loved ones or caregivers also have no idea what to expect. We need to do better in getting…… Continue reading 4 Things Everyone Should Learn About Dying
Category: Interesting
Why You Need a Death Doula
While much of the world has an intimate approach concerning care during severe illness and dying, Western cultures are nearly the opposite. You see, for the last century, we have segregated our old, our ill, and our dying. Other than seeing our friends or family in a casket at a funeral home, that’s about as…… Continue reading Why You Need a Death Doula
An Open Letter To Those Helping Me Grieve
“If you simply cannot understand why someone is grieving so much, for so long, then consider yourself fortunate.” DR. JOANNE CACCIATORE Grief isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of thing. We all experience it differently. And we all experience it differently at different times. The way we experience grief is kind of like skydiving. Only the person…… Continue reading An Open Letter To Those Helping Me Grieve
How to Create Your Own Sacred Space
Creating a special, sacred space for yourself will help you to expand your sense of wonder and appreciation for life.Your sacred space is a place where you can push pause and do a little reflection or it can be a place where you can take a few breaths in peace and quiet while going about…… Continue reading How to Create Your Own Sacred Space
Things to Consider When First Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness
You’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I am very sorry. There is no right or wrong way to handle this experience. Time seems to stand still when you first hear the diagnosis. Everyone handles it differently. Some people push it away, some cry, some are angry; some are silent, some get scared, and some…… Continue reading Things to Consider When First Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness
15 Signs from Deceased Loved Ones
The night my dying husband had a conversation with his deceased brother in my living room was the night I found the first feather. Shane was dying from a very aggressive cancer. He was receiving visits near the end of his life from his mother and brother who passed away before him. It was quite…… Continue reading 15 Signs from Deceased Loved Ones
How Death and Funerals Have Changed in the U.S.
Up until the Civil War era in the United States, we used to hold our funerals in our homes.When we knew our loved ones were dying, it was common practice to remain with them. The family would nurse them by day and neighbors would “sit up” with them during the night. (They could alert family…… Continue reading How Death and Funerals Have Changed in the U.S.
75% of All Deaths are Caused by 12 Things
People in the world today are more likely to die from a terminal illness than an unexpected or sudden death. We have been learning how to live with death for an extended period of time and our grieving process starts at diagnosis rather than at death itself.Did you know that 75% of all deaths in…… Continue reading 75% of All Deaths are Caused by 12 Things
Traditional Burial Customs that Might be Shocking
For the most part, we have been accustomed to two different ways of saying our final goodbyes to our loved ones: burial and cremation. You might be surprised and sometimes a little shocked to learn how different cultures carry out funerals. Have a traditional funeral or be consumed by vultures? What about your family digging…… Continue reading Traditional Burial Customs that Might be Shocking
No One Dies Alone: A Beautiful End of Life Program
NODA – “No One Dies Alone” is a program founded in 2001 by Sandra Clarke, an intensive care nurse at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Oregon. She noticed there was no continuous support system in place for terminal patients without family or friends.Patients near death are paired with compassionate care volunteers who sit with…… Continue reading No One Dies Alone: A Beautiful End of Life Program