Many of us are very familiar with Hospice and how they care for folks and their families. Some have heard others describe what they considered Hospice bringing on the death of their loved one by the use of morphine. Many are afraid to enter Hospice as a result until there are no other options. This…

Historically, I have not been someone who pays attention to the solstice, either winter or summer, except for the practical application of when the sun rises in the summer and sets in the winter. Admittedly, I pay little attention to topics such as these, not taking time to learn and/or understand them much less give…

It’s Sunday evening. I’ve had a full day. I participated in a discussion about burial, funeral, customs and traditions across cultures, and the future of the funeral industry. What’s so cool about this discussion is that I did not start it. Naturally, I had a lot to say and I got to hear some perspectives…

How many times have I said this to a friend or family member? Did I truly miss the person or was it a platitude? It can feel endearing to say this to someone I don’t keep in touch with regularly but is it truthful? I’d like to think I am being honest when I tell…

Since I became a death doula, I have taken on many responsibilities. My intent in beginning a podcast and this website has always been to inform. It would be easy to make this about business. It is not about business, however. It remains an intent to inform but also to educate. The business part allows…

Historically, death was a natural part of living, with each member of the family–including children—all playing their part in caring for the dying. The family sat by the bedside, gathered together, paid respects to the dying person, and when the person died, the family would care for the body by washing it, covering it, transporting…

Getting from Point A to Point B has its benefits. Bed to toilet in the night, to coffee pot in the morning, to favorite coffee seat. Getting from home to work and home again—gotta make the money to keep the home. Very important. My husband and I left our home Friday, bound for Yellowstone National…

I am traveling this week, seeing old friends and driving around Southern California, and having plenty of conversations about dying. Dying wishes, thoughts of loved ones already gone, and regrets about actions not taken and things not said. My friends and acquaintances each have their personal decisions they want to make and they expressed thoughts…

I was talking and walking with a friend the other day. I lamented about some recent weight gain. As we walked and talked, she shared with me this nugget. She explained that each day, rather than dwelling on how we got it wrong, we should instead count our wins for the day. I liked it.…

I have been on a bit of a spiritual journey recently, one that I began because of some sadness that had crept into my life. I couldn’t identify the source of my sadness but I felt little things such as tearfulness, and, if one were to look in my eyes—you may recognize the look—and ask…

I shared this idea with a group of folks last year and as we approach Mother’s Day 2023, the thought popped up again. I know women who may never bear children but are terrific mothers. Their wisdom, kindness, care and concern for others deepens their relationships and creates “the family we choose”. I didn’t always…

Actor Tom Sizemore suffered a brain aneurysm on February 19, 2023, according to Charles Lago, a representative for Mr. Sizemore. He had been hospitalized and in the intensive care unit following a brain aneurysm. Lago reported that the actor had been found by ‘someone’ at 2 a.m. He was admitted to the hospital and was…

Recently, someone I follow on social media posted a link to an article entitled, “Why Didn’t the Doctor Tell Us About Hospice Sooner?” With former president Jimmy Carter now in Hospice care, a lot of talk and opinions are being shared in the public forum. That actually is good news. The family in this article…

I recently shared some barriers to listening. I discussed assumptive listening and rationalization, things that we bring to the table before we ever sit down to listen. This ‘baggage’ can be a barrier to listening. My eyes were opened recently. It was a Friday night and I was lying in bed, reflecting on the week…

Have you heard or read this statement? “We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.” The quote is attributed to Zeno of Citium, a Greek thinker. It sounds rather simplistic, right? I saw this on Facebook awhile back, then I’ve read it in other places recently as well.…

Have you ever been asked this question? Has your mind wandered when someone was sharing their thoughts or story, only to be jarred back into the present by this question? It can be a bit embarrassing to discover our mind had wandered to our to-do list, memories, who’s constantly sending text messages right now, etc.…

Take Learning From When and Where It Comes Yup! Another nugget came to me recently. Confession: I can be quite stubborn to learn concepts that are new or conflict with my beliefs or life experience. This is not always good, and I am realizing that when I can take in learning from someone I don’t…

I wrote a post recently called It’s All About the Nuggets. I coined the phrase based on conversations and teaching moments I have had through the years, using these “nuggets” as a quick-trigger means to motivate myself to take action, or change a thought pattern, or refrain from an activity I no longer wanted to…

If you’ve been following this Thanatology series, you’ve been learning about Thanatology, the science of dying and death. Today we will be looking at the psychological aspects of dying and death, and how folks trained in this field can help others. In researching this subcategory, I learned about people receiving a terminal diagnosis or a…