New Beginnings: Greeting Death

Welcome to my new site!

I will use this spot to journal my thoughts and ideas as I write a book that explores the value of acknowledging our own mortality, including planning for end-of-life.

I am middle-aged, healthy and dream of becoming a great-grandmother.

This morning I watched a spectacular Lake Huron sunrise from the north shore of Bois Blanc Island in northern Michigan. I stood nearly breathless as another new day cracked through the shimmering horizon.

It would have been easy to jump ahead to all of my plans for the day--friends arriving, feasts to prepare, checking the pantry for s'mores ingredients, wondering when I would find time to write.....

In the midst of those thoughts, I listened, again, to the music I have selected for my funeral. I hope by the time it is needed the current electronic format is obsolete! But, since I have no way of knowing when I will watch my last sunrise, I take comfort in the preparations I have made.

It all starts with admitting that we are all going to die. That part alone, is a process, not an event. Some days that idea flows smoothly. Other days perhaps the idea is banished.

Keep at it. Keep trying on the notion that death is something we don't escape.

It is the common ground that binds us all.

I will include resources I find helpful. I look forward to hearing from you-experiences, wisdom, concerns, questions....all are welcome here.

What leads one to delve deeply into the topic of death?

For me, early experiences as a nurse and more recent experiences as a family member, as well as traveling to other countries, has shaped my current views and concerns about our reluctance to admit our own mortality as a culture.

So....I invite you to come along with me on this exploration.

I promise you, talking and thinking about our own death does NOT make it happen sooner.

Really. I am pretty certain of that.

For me, there is peace in imagining my death. And comfort in knowing I have a folder of information prepared for my family and friends so they will be able to create a final service for me that encourages a healthy celebration of our relationships, a time to mourn and a time to heal.