“Autonomy can be defined as the ability of a person to make his or her own decisions .” When someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness their autonomy, their choices, and their voices are often taken from them. They did not choose for their life to be cut short, or for their body to be riddled with pain, or to lose their ability to care for themselves or do things they love, with the people they love. Everyone else makes choices for them, stepping in to make decisions on th

To be gifted someone that loves you To know that feeling in your heart To be cared for well, and to feel safe In life… that is the very...

I am often asked what the best gift would be to bring someone who is dying or someone who is grieving. Our first go-to is usually...

I have built a wall around me One that protects me from the pain And despite how thick or strong it is The ache comes back again But even...

Some days are harder than others to get out of bed. Some days you want to throw the covers right over your head. Some days you feel so...

This is a question I am asked often. I think that we each have our own thoughts and beliefs about this and should not tell someone else...

There are two kinds of goodbyes, the kind where you expect to see each other again, and the kind where you know you never will. The...

When we take our very first breath, we have no idea what it means to be alive. We have no set plan, we are not burdened by judgment or...

When I was a little girl, I heard a motorcycle crash outside our house, and I ran outside to see what happened. A young man was lying on...

Almost every single day I speak with someone who is either preparing to say goodbye, has just said goodbye, or is doing their best to...

When someone you love dies, your life changes in a million different ways. Everything you planned to do won’t happen, and the you that...

When I am at the bedside of someone who is nearing the end of their life, I find myself very drawn to knowing their story. I want to know...

You can’t fix my grief You can’t make it go away I understand you want to But for now, it is here to stay I appreciate your...

When that last breath is taken the air in the room leaves for just a moment leaving those in its presence holding their breath it is at...

As each day comes to an end, I ask myself three things: What did I do well? What can I do differently? What did I learn? I do this...

"Gabby, why do people stop checking in, after someone dies?" I have been asked this many times and I always try to find the right answer,...

When you are younger you have no idea Of the relevance of time What it means, or how much you have Wishing desperately that you could...

My dog Tucker was a long-haired dachshund who although a bit rough around the edges, and sometimes a biter, was my best buddy. As many...

I have witnessed so many last breaths that I cannot count them any more… and I have hugged twice as many as they started their grief...

I have witnessed over a thousand last breaths. I have prepared twice that many people to say goodbye to someone they love. Does this have...