I became a widow last fall at the age of 55. I’m figuring out how to navigate the road before me. The road of aloneness, without my other half. It’s been a little over a year since Shane died. He was 56 years old.The silence in my house is deafening. I am still unable to…… Continue reading The One About The Year of Firsts After a Loved One’s Death
Tag: dying
7 Important Ways to Help Someone Who is Grieving
1: Some Don’ts: Don’t tell them how to feel. Don’t tell them you know how they feel. Also, everyone’s grief is different. When you are grieving it’s common for people to want to offer up their own stories of grieving to you. I think people that it somehow shows they support you and they understand…… Continue reading 7 Important Ways to Help Someone Who is Grieving
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
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.
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