Dealing with Grief and Fears

I’ve heard many times that aging is about loss, and I don’t disagree. But I would offer that it’s also about hard-earned gains – which are often the result of those losses. It’s true that with time life throws us curveballs…
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I had several milestone events that occurred during my husband’s bout with Stage IV cancer. I turned 60 the December before he died. Many friends came together and surprised me with a beautiful party, but I missed not having my husband there by my side, as he was at home, in hospice care. Read More

You’re afraid of breaking a hip when you fall. You’re saying good-bye to dear friends, who’ve lost their battle with cancer. You worry if you’re forgetting words like you always have, or if it’s becoming a pattern. Read More

There is no gentle way to say this: My husband and I lost three special friends within a two-week period. Their ages: 83, 72, and 65. Two had health issues, but their deaths were nevertheless unexpected…
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There is no aspect of funeral service as misunderstood as cremation. The biggest misconception is that cremation precludes any and all funeral services. Nothing could be further from the truth…

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As a stay-at-home mom, I used to dread meeting new people at social events. After initial pleasantries, so often the exchange would come to an awkward, grinding halt when they asked me…
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As a hospice volunteer, one of the many things I’ve come to understand is that everyone faces serious illness and the prospect of death differently. There’s simply no “right way” or “wrong way” to approach it…
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“I don’t want to pay that amount of money for something I don’t want!”

I screamed these words to the funeral director who sat opposite me on the sofa two days after my husband had died. Read More

Berenice looked horrified. In the group I was running, she was coming to terms with the idea that she really needed to speak to her parents about the fact they were coming towards the end of their lives…
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It seems a lot like a movie now, but I didn’t choose to see or play a role in this one. I was dragged in as a lead actress in this long-running family drama and was forced to make the best of it…
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