Henry is facing the reality that his existence in this world is about to end—he is terminally ill. As the weeks pass, he feels himself becoming weaker and realizes his time is short and his accomplishments are almost over. He can no longer control his own existence. It is an unavoidable loss. For several months […]

“I never got to say goodbye to my aunt. “I was living far away when she died, and I had no means of attending her funeral. Sometimes it’s even difficult for me to believe that she is gone. As time goes by, and my life changes and special events come and go, I feel a […]

It strikes me that for the first time in five decades of living I am now motherless, that I no longer have a Mum with whom to have tea. This is not a thought that I can comprehend. I am trying to leave the room but keep going back to her to give her one […]

Lighting a candle, taking a deep breath, and focusing on the flame (for as little as a few minutes), is a great way to create inner silence and peace in a world of turmoil. You can use scented candles like lavender, vanilla, chamomile, sandalwood, ylang ylang, (fragrances renowned for their relaxation benefits and stress relief) […]

One minute I was laughing, well smiling at least, feeling a connection to my family, and the next minute I was in tears and escaping outside to try and breathe, overwhelmed with grief and just wanting my sister Cindy to be with us again. Please, just one more time, I pleaded to the universe—just for […]

What are you waiting for? … You can’t think too small about your life because the world is waiting for you to play big. There is so much to do…to see…to experience! … The silence of the dawning day, Finding yourself in someone’s heart, That smile that emerges from the tears, Finding riches along the […]

If you believe you are of body, mind and spirit, when informed of a serious illness you are summoned to examine the meaning of your life and brought face to face with death: “So that’s the way my cookie crumbled…now what can I do with it?” Ask yourself, “Has life been filled with dead ends […]

Have you heard the following simplistic concept?: “You must bloom where you are planted.” (In other words, grow a life.) What does that mean to you, when you think about your grief journey? Does it mean “grow and become all that you can be, no matter where you find yourself on life’s journey?” And in […]

Some dying people show increased anxiety and fear as death draws nearer. Sometimes this is an indication that something unresolved, unfinished, or unreconciled, over some important issue or with some significant relationship, is disturbing them…and preventing them from letting go. And sometimes it is an indication that the person is ready to say good-bye but […]

Cora was so thankful that Hospice had prepared her for what she could expect in her husband’s dying… So she wasn’t alarmed when she noticed that during the transition (active) phase of his dying, Parker had lost control of his bladder and bowels as the muscles in that area began to relax. The nurse had […]