Accompanying a Dying Person – Death Midwifing – Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZLJ67LpsMA&t=13s
Helping A Senior Who Lost Their Spouse
How to Help A Senior Who Lost Their Spouse By Jackie Waters You want to be there for your friends. When they stumble, you are there to help them get back on their feet. That’s what a good friend does. But when you’re trying to help someone who just had their spouse die, that’s…
Loss of a Sibling
Losing a Sibling The death of a sibling is the most neglected loss in adult life. Loss of a sibling means loss of someone who knew your formative past. Siblings are often our emotionally closest relatives. For that reason, “Survivors Guilt” and guilt over unresolved issues like rivalry with the sibling might linger for…
Why Home Wakes Are so Important
When my mom passed away at age 61, I washed and dressed her in her bed, decorating the room with fabrics, flowers and candles. She had been adamant about not wanting to be in a dark cooling room with other bodies after her death. So I kept her on dry ice for three days, until…
Dropping Our Avatars
This morning I had arranged for the viewing of a 55-year old man, who had peacefully died in his sleep, in his bed, of congestive heart failure. Afterwards, the family asked me to tell them “where did he go?” I answered he didn’t go anywhere, he’s right here with us. He just dropped his body…
Preparing For a Loss – And How To Go On
As we see a loved one decline, we brace ourselves for their departure. A lot of our grieving happens before the actual passing. We play out scenarios in our minds of how the world will be without this wonderful being. We preconceive the emotion of loss in the hopes that it will prepare us. Some…
When To Live And When To Die
I accompanied both my parents and my only sister Maia through their cancer treatment and their dying experience. With all three, right after the diagnosis, there was tremendous, blinding fear. The world “cancer” has a toxic, psychological effect on top of whatever physical illness is playing out. Witnessing their doctors who seemed to savor their…
Dying with Small Children Around
Going Through my Sister’s Transition with her Small Children When my sister Maia was diagnosed in 2010 with acute lymphatic leukemia, her children were 3 and 8. For four years, Maia struggled with chemo, radiation, receiving a bone marrow transplant and stem cells. She had an iron will to live and much support from her…
Lessons of Healing and Fearlessness the Dying Teach Us
In the year 2007, both my parents were diagnosed with cancer. They died in hospice after a lot of care in 2008, only 6 months apart. Being the main caregiver throughout their dying process showed me clearly just how removed from death our culture had become. As each one of my parents reached their last…