Giving Thanks
The dictionary describes the word ‘thanksgiving’ as follows: “the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors…..an expression of thanks….” Each of us always looks forward to Thanksgiving, and loves spending hours with family gathered...
Physician-Assisted Suicide…. Not!
Every day my Google Alerts send me interesting articles about death and dying. Some I read, some I pass by, but this one caught my eye. A medical student wrote a piece about the medical practice of “physician-assisted suicide” as a collaborative process. While he...
Grateful
Reading about New Mexico the other day, I was moved to deep gratitude that California found the wisdom and courage to enact an aid in dying law so its terminally ill citizens may have a peaceful death if that is their choice. In this Albuquerque Journal...
When the Burdens of Living Outweigh the Benefits
When I read The Washington Post article's title, “At 94, she was ready to die by fasting,” I thought “Oh no!” Upon further reading, I learned that Rosemary Bowen did not actually fast, which by definition is stopping all nutritional intake, but rather, she...
Alternate Endings
ALTERNATE ENDINGS released in August 2019 is a touching HBO film that depicts new and innovative ways to end or memorialize one’s life. My husband and I watched it last night and it is a worthy watch. It is tender and informative and we enjoyed it. The film...
How Not To Die In The ER
This extraordinary piece we share with you today is a thoughtful and moving example of just what it takes to get well-meaning medical providers to pay attention to what we (the patients) want, not what they think we need. The story is a hard but valuable lesson...
Reimagine End of Life San Francisco
Mark your calendar NorCal friends! Reimagine End of Life SF Bay Area will be running from October 24 through November 3, 2019. It is a citywide event with numerous venues and 200+ events and activities, many of which are free of charge. Reimagine End of Life SF...
Going online shopping this weekend?
A New and SUPER Easy Way to Contribute to our Important Work! Hello Friends, We know how many requests for financial support come through your inbox for nonprofits and political causes; especially with the upcoming elections. As a small nonprofit dedicated to...
That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour
In the last several years, there have been many wonderful books about how we navigate dying. This interest coincides with a movement toward questioning the current use of technology up against an individual’s desire to have some control at the end of life. We...
A Return To Nature
I recently read this article, which appeared in my Inbox. I was pleasantly surprised by all the information it contained about green burial. This issue has not been part of my decade-long work in death and dying. However, I have known others who are...
