We all wish for a “beautiful” death, for ourselves and for the people we love. And thankfully, many times, it happens, or at least it comes close. I feel fortunate to have witnessed countless deaths that were peaceful, quiet, and even beautiful. But I have also been present for the ones that weren’t, the ones filled with struggle, distress, and sounds that echo in your mind long after the room has fallen silent. Death and the dying process are as individual as fingerprints. N

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason why one person goes quickly in their sleep, while another holds on for days, and days, and days. I...

I was with a gentleman recently who was far too young to die... and his greatest ache was saying goodbye to his daughter, who hadn't hit...

With every patient or family member I have the honor to sit with as a life is about to end, I learn and I grow. There is always a...

"If you reflect on your past experiences, you look at them once again thoughtfully." One thing I am absolutely certain of is that we...

People often ask me what they can say to someone who is grieving, but also to someone who is dying. There is always going to be some...

I cared for a woman who was in her nineties, she lived a good life, and she was loved by many. When her last breath was taken, there...

I have a patient who died a few days ago. During the weeks, days, and moments prior to his death, his entire team of caregivers,...

I had a tough day yesterday... I responded to a call that a patient had died, a homeless man, living alone in a shelter. I won't share...

I had dinner with a woman I only knew for a few weeks while I was her mom’s hospice nurse. She is lovely, her heart is big and it is...

Every morning I pull a different card from one of my many random boxes of Goddess, Fairy, Shaman, Healer, Angel, or Star Child cards. I...

I recently went to a memorial service for a patient I didn't meet until after he became non responsive. I didn't know anything about him....

Almost every single one of us carries something with us from our past, something heavy that in many ways holds us down or back from...

A friend of mine asked me today, "what should I tell the kids?" and this was about their dog, the family pet, a member of the family....

I saw a quote recently; “when the elderly die, a library is lost and volumes of wisdom and knowledge are gone." This got me thinking...

I was sitting with a husband who was about to say his last goodbye to a woman he has loved for forty years. He told me, "she is the most...

How much time do we have? Where did the time go? I wish we could go back in time. Remember that time? Time is on my side… time is not on...

I was sitting with a friend on a bench when a white feather slowly floated by, stopping periodically as if to say hello or perhaps just...

I was speaking to a group of hospice volunteers and one of them asked me two very powerful questions, “do you ever become emotional when...

In this time of so much controversy, so many personal opinions differ, and while some keep it to themselves, others are quite vocal. How...