There can be a beautiful innocence in living through our teenage years, a kind of what you don’t know about life yet glow. I remember this phase of growing up myself. It was lovely, a time of now worries and lots of time to be a full on teenager. Not yet in the adult systems of life there was a type of simple freedom in my teenage hood. Though this is not true for all of us it … [Read more...]
Our First Christmas Without Jody – The Importance of Planning Together
Jody passed away May 5th, 1988 and I remember that first Christmas Season without her was looming large in front of me as if it were yesterday. I recall wondering what the heck we were going to do without her to celebrate one of her favorite times of the year. So, as a family, we started to talk about what we could do to include Jody in our Christmas celebrations. Though the … [Read more...]
Our First Christmas Without Jody
Jody passed away May 5th, 1988 and I remember, as that first Christmas Season without her was looming large in front of me, wondering what the heck are we going to do without her to celebrate one of her favorite times of the year. So as a family we started to talk about what we could do to include Jody in our Christmas celebrations. Though the family was spread all over the … [Read more...]
Medical Assistance In Dying – The Striking Oddness of It
To be sure I have no moral judgment around choosing or not choosing MAID, it is a most personal and intimate family conversation that needs to be undertaken with the support of the medical system. The resulting choice is that individual’s and that family’s right to make. Once the choice is made to proceed with MAID and the required medical processes have been completed and … [Read more...]
Grief Has No Schedule
I have worked with many folks over the years, women, men, youngers, and elders and have done so as a hospice volunteer, cremationist and reverend. Through all my experiences I have learned one thing for certain… grief does not have a timetable or schedule! Grief shows up when it does, it stays as long as it wants, and leaves when it is ready. The wisdom, in the journey with … [Read more...]