Death and Dying

Our life is a story.  Birth is the first chapter. Death is the last chapter.  While death is a normal part of life, too often death becomes a medical procedure. Hospice can help the dying patient and family.

Talking about death helps us to focus on living each day in the present moment. Talking about death doesn’t make it happen sooner.

We tend to shy away from talking specifically about it – frequently referring to it by other words e.g., passing on or passing away…or we avoid talking about it at all. This happens to all of us at one time or another — as husbands, wives, adult children of aging parents, doctors, nurses, lawyers or spiritual advisers.

Coming to terms with death and understanding how it affects you or your loved ones takes time.  Death can be better understood and accepted through a number of creative and artistic outlets such as storytelling, videos, music, painting, and writing.  You may prefer to reflect on the creative work of others who have dealt with death in their own lives.  Producing and experiencing art, in any of these forms, may help you to better express your own emotions and feelings which will ultimately help you to better understand them.

Many of us are unable to talk about death when we or someone we know is approaching death.  This makes death and dying that much more frightening.  Listening to the stories of others who have experienced deaths can help us learn how to start a conversation about death and dying with your family.