When I noticed how we have outsourced and professionalized dying, death and after death care I find myself wondering how much life wisdom we are loosing. As I see it if we are afraid of death we must also be pushing away ageing as it is death’s messenger. Did you know?…
- British Columbia’s Seniors Advocate announced in her recent report on life in long term care homes that loneliness is the number one problem – point taken.
- The Maori believe that a culture failing to embrace death as an important and fundamental aspect of life will loose its way – wisdom from the elders.
- Over 59% of Canadians, many alone, die in the hospital the highest rating in the G 20, Netherlands is half of our rate at 29% – a different perspective.
From my vantage point the answer to this question is an absolute YES fear of death does rob us of family life wisdom! If I am correct the next best question is… What to do about the thief?
Well, firstly we would need to become much more comfortable with death, especially our own. Taking an would support our comfort with the topic and broaden our ‘death’ horizons. Once we have embrace death a bit more fully a natural result will be that we begin to embrace ageing as a natural and important facet of living life fully.
Secondly, we could find a long-term care residence in our home community and begin to volunteer even a couple of hours of our time each month to keeping an elder or two company. If you were interested you could connect with me by email and I will send you a copy of ‘Before I Go’ a template I use to help elders make meaning of their life and tell their life story. In attending to our elders this way we serve them in their natural life review and we serve ourselves in that their ‘deathbed’ regrets and be turned into life lesson for us the survivors. It’s a darn win / win!
I encourage you to try both ideas and then let me know how your life has improved because of your changed approach to ageing, dying and death.
Warmly and with gratitude
Stephen
Leave a Reply