I think what is niggling away at me is seeing his suffering…that ultimate suffering that I know is leading to his death…a suffering that is painful to see in a family member. I don’t know when his end when arrive…but I know his train is on that track. He gave me the power to make […]

Thanks for passing this story on to me, Ken. Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress; lawn mower in his hand, and dish-towel in hers. It was the […]

God saw you getting tired, When a cure was not to be. So He wrapped his arms around you, and whispered, “Come to me.” You didn’t deserve what you went through, So He gave you rest. God’s garden must be beautiful, He only takes the best. And when I saw you sleeping, So peaceful and […]

Ken, thanks for passing this story, with its words of wisdom, on to me: A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of […]

Terminally ill patients often see or talk to someone who has already died, have glimpses of “another world” or have feelings of being in “another place”.  This may happen several weeks before death.  Usually the dreams or feeling are comforting, but sometimes they create anxieties about mental dysfunction.  You need to provide reassurance that such experiences […]

What do you think was the most challenging aspect of this experience (of being with your dying loved one) for your children?   “Watching Dad gradually deteriorate and lose abilities that once allowed him his independence was very challenging. Knowing that I’d have to live the rest of my life without his laugh, affection, loving words […]

With flowing tears, dear cherished one, We lay thee with the dead; And flowers, which thou didst love so well, Shall wave above thy head. Sweet emblems of thy dearer self, They find a wintry tomb; And at the south wind’s gentle touch, Spring forth to life and bloom. Thus, when the sun of righteousness […]

What was the most profound aspect of this experience for you?   “Being with him as he died. My daughter held his right hand, and I cut the cloth that kept his left hand from spasmodically striking him. We sang to him, prayed with him, blessed him and thanked him. When he breathed that last breath, […]

“The most challenging part of this experience is honoring my husband’s decision to die when I knew how much I would miss him.” ~ SHARON “For me the most challenging thing was watching Dad’s physical body struggle and slowly shut down as he prepared for death. His not being able to communicate verbally with us […]

You can think about your problems or you can worry about them, and there is a vast difference between the two. Worry is thinking that has turned toxic…thinking works its way through problems to conclusions and decisions. ~Harold Walker Melanie Hack Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend Read an excerpt now TV Shows […]