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As the end of life draws near, we journey into an area that most of us know little about. Despite the good work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and others who have shed light on the dying process, it remains a topic we shy away from and prefer not to discuss.
I recently lost two friends, both of whom received hospice services in the last weeks of their life. For both friends, the calmness and serenity of their dying process was a gift to their families and themselves. Dying is a natural process that claims the body of each of us when our life is complete, and the opportunity to treat it with honor and to embrace the dying person through the transition can be a blessing to us all. If the dying is our own, we can extend this understanding to our family and friends.
The article below was written by a woman who gained much wisdom from reflecting on the way she responded to the loss of her husband. Because his death came soon after the initial diagnosis, she was not yet able to accept his pending death, and was caught unawares when it occurred. She offers the lessons she learned about accepting the possibility that our loved one may die, and about preparing ourselves emotionally as best we can. When we’re centered in our own heart, we can offer others a calm and supportive experience, whether it is us or a loved one who is saying goodbye.
