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Not Everyone Wants Their Hand Held
One of the things I have learned working in hospice is that not everyone wants their hand held, and yet most of us immediately go to the...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
6 days ago2 min read
95 views
0 comments


I Can Smile
When we experience trauma, physical or emotional, our ability to smile can often diminish, regardless of whether it was something that...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Apr 202 min read
24 views
0 comments


It’s not just any old chef knife; it’s his chef knife.
When my mom died, I took her blue tape measure that she always wore around her neck when she was sewing. When my dad died, I took a small...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Apr 43 min read
67 views
0 comments


Blue Bird
A friend of mine died on March 19th, I feel like this is going to be my new normal, and something I am going to have to get used to...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Apr 12 min read
102 views
0 comments


"Taller"
I spent most of my life being afraid to ask for help. I honestly thought that if I did, it meant I was a failure somehow, or inadequate...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Mar 113 min read
75 views
0 comments


How are you doing?
This is a question that many people who are navigating an illness hear. It does come from a caring place, and it is not meant to hurt or...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Mar 13 min read
84 views
0 comments


You are not grieving "wrong"
I was with three siblings as they prepared to say goodbye to their mom. One accused her sister of not honoring their mother properly by...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Feb 32 min read
115 views
0 comments


I can coexist with my sadness
When confronted with grief, people often say “it gets better with time.” Although this statement comes from a place of kindness and...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Jan 271 min read
79 views
0 comments


You don't know how I feel.
A common piece of advice I give is: Listen without trying to fix, judge, or share how you would handle the situation... listen to affirm...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Jan 202 min read
114 views
0 comments


Heightened awareness when someone is near death
One of the things I stress most to the people at the bedside of someone who is dying, is to be mindful of how aware their person is, even...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Jan 193 min read
180 views
0 comments


Food and water at the end of life.
I was walking down the aisle of a grocery store when I heard a little girl say to her mother, “you know mom, if I don’t eat for three...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Jan 192 min read
195 views
0 comments


The Last Words
We never think about the last words we might have said to someone until they become the last words we said to them The last words,...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Jan 51 min read
142 views
2 comments


My First Death
When I was about 8 years old, a young man on his motorcycle, came around the corner near my house. I was in my bedroom and I can remember...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Dec 18, 20243 min read
183 views
0 comments


Expecting Turbulent Waters
The boat rests quietly on the tranquil water Drifting ever so gently with each soft wave And though it remains serene... for now It...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Dec 4, 20241 min read
167 views
0 comments


I will be there for you
My promise to my patients, to the people who love them, to my family, to my friends, and to all of you... I will be there for you. xo...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Nov 21, 20241 min read
248 views
0 comments


Cherry Blossoms
This is a story about a woman who came to our hospice house and touched all of us. This was many years ago but she will always have a...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Nov 13, 20244 min read
129 views
0 comments


The Invisible String
I had a dream that I was taking a walk and I came upon a huge open field of grass and little purple flowers, and there in the middle were...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Nov 11, 20242 min read
102 views
0 comments


Grief is not just about death, it is about loss
When I first started working as a hospice nurse, I witnessed the different ways in which individuals go through and express grief. I...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Nov 4, 20243 min read
240 views
0 comments


Community
When you work in end-of-life care you learn something new each day. We learn from our patients and the people who love them, and we learn...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Oct 26, 20243 min read
84 views
0 comments


Sibling Loss
When my sister died a part of me died with her. I have attached a blog I wrote for and about her. She was my everything when I was...
Gabrielle Elise Jimenez
Oct 15, 20242 min read
199 views
0 comments

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