A GOOD DEATH CAN LOOK LIKE THIS …
Beautiful, courageous people turning toward their death when death is inevitable. These are the stories that affect me deeply. They powerfully influence the way I think about the end of my life.
Our dying days WILL come. When we can accept the things we cannot change, we are empowered to envision and choose our best path forward and live the best life we can live.
I feel so strongly that we must all claim a dying experience that holds most meaning for us – if it’s at all possible. That’s why I’m a huge fan of Advance Care Planning. When we can no longer speak for ourselves, what and whom do we want around us?
IF YOU ARE BOTH LUCKY AND WISE…here is Grandma’s script for a beautiful death.
It’s a story that paves the way for the rest of us. It takes only a little bit of courage to be willing to leave our families with a whole lot of grace.
Thankyou to my beautiful sister, who made me aware of Grandma’s story.
GRANDMA’S DYING TIME
At 93, Grandmother was matriarch of a large family of children and grandchildren. She was still living in her home independently one morning when she had a fall in the shower. She was taken to hospital and while there, she told her family that she was now entering her dying time. She also said that she would leave hospital to do that, and would never come back to hospital again.
She called a family meeting and told her children how things would be from now on. She moved in with a daughter but told the whole family that they would now be taking care of her. She had turned fully toward her dying.
Once settled in her new home, she scheduled meetings with all of her 11 children and 80 or so grandchildren. One by one, she gave away all of her possessions, and her blessings went with them. Beginning from oldest child through to youngest grandchild, Grandma spoke the words she needed to leave on Earth. Over the next weeks and months she went about her clearing out and finishing up the business of her life.
Just days after she gave away the last gifts, at peace and surrounded by family, she died.
⚜️❇️♦️ In the weeks of her conscious dying time, Grandma intuitively shared the essential 4 cornerstones that matter most in life – and need to be addressed in the dying time.
- She asked for forgiveness.
- She gave forgiveness.
- She said thank you to all who loved and cared for her, and gratitude also to life through her acts of self- responsibility in her end time.
- She spoke to each of her love for them.
We speak of ‘turning toward our dying’ when it’s our time.
This is that, well done.
⚜️❇️
