During my hospice nursing career, I noticed how patients came on service for a very short time. It would make me sad that they missed out on this wonderful experience due to hesitancy about coming to terms with end-of-life issues. Families are often unwilling to face the terminal condition of a loved one. Sometimes, it’s the patient’s reluctance about embracing hospice because they felt they were “giving up.” When in reality, hospice is about comfort care, pain management, system management…..
I was reflecting about the loss of my cat Bobby last July. I went through a denial stage because I didn’t send an email to my neighbors to see if anyone saw him. When someone is in denial, they’re trying to protect themselves by refusing to accept the truth about something that’s happening in their life. My husband was out of town at the time and wasn’t due home for another four days. I didn’t want to deal with the…..
My vision for my book, Messages from the Afterlife: Memoirs of a Hospice Nurse, is to help others. I did something that is totally out of my comfort zone. I took a leap of faith and walked into an independent book store to give them two copies of my book. I presented the books with a pretty ribbon and placed the informational postcard on top. I was greeted by the store manager and asked her to give my book to…..
I recently returned from a two-week West Coast Book Tour. I learned so much from this experience and the first lesson was to let go of expectations. First of all, I was supposed to go on this trip with another friend of mine. Without going into details, she and I parted ways which left me with my strong awareness that this was all happening for a reason … I needed to Let Go and Let God. I had the choice…..
I will be going on a West Coast Book Tour in a week with my friend, Sharyn, and I wanted to call an old high school friend who now lives just south of Seattle. I went to the beach that afternoon with my smoothie in hand, that served as lunch, because I had a massage appointment later that afternoon. When I was settled on my beach towel, I had a strong message to call my friend. I was pleased she…..
Having been married twice through my 72 years of life, I have come to realize a few things about marriage. First, never rush into it. I heard a marriage counselor say that people should wait two years before deciding to tie the knot so that the fog of infatuation and lust will subside. I found it wise to carefully watch how my beloved treats wait staff, children and animals as it shows insight into the heart of an individual. It’s…..
My heart is breaking. My grey tabby cat Bobby has crossed the rainbow bridge. It all happened on Monday, July 15 around 7:40 am. I remember petting him as I awoke from my slumber. He liked to sleep between my calves making it difficult to turn. He had such a beautiful face that was filled with love. I couldn’t help picking him up and holding him in my arms and kissing him. As I stumbled to the kitchen, I found…..
I’m sitting in the back yard on my cabana. My husband left for a five-day men’s retreat in Vancouver and I was looking for some time alone. So, this is perfect and I get to do what I want when I want! I do miss our morning cuddles and pillow talk about how we slept and sharing our dreams. I also think about what it would be like to be single again. I’m sure I would like parts of it;…..
“We are never prepared for what we expect.” ~ James A. Michener My friend Mary and I embarked on a 2-day road trip adventure through Utah and Colorado before attending The Children of the Light Conference. I had skied in Utah and Colorado when I was in my 30’s and 40’s, but I never saw how beautifully green it is. I fell in love with the mountains all over again! Of course, we had to stop in at a dispensary…..
I had so much fun at a Spiritual Retreat in wine country in the beautiful city of Temecula. There was so much laughter, hugs and love to go around. There is something very powerful about women coming together to share experience, strength and hope with one another through story telling. I was inspired by the courage and strength I witnessed throughout the weekend. The topic for our Saturday meeting was Acceptance. One of my favorite sayings is “God, Grant me the…..