Death. Dying. Hospice. These are words not readily accepted in our public discourse. These are words used only in select and even secreted conversations.
Why is that?
Our culture is one of vitality, of growing, of conquering. In a world that is increasingly painted only with black and white, since it is not any kind of “success,” is not death and dying really a kind of failure? And who wants to talk about failure?
But really, such a notion is lacking of even a modicum of insight. There is absolutely not one living thing that will live forever. Everything that has been, is, or ever will be alive, will also die. How could something so certain, so completely integral, so normal, to life’s living be anything but important for us to think about and important to talk about as well?
Birth and death are the dual bookends of each and every life. Why then should we only be comfortable in talking about the former and avoid even thinking about the latter?
Things are changing, of course. Particularly as the burgeoning Baby Boom generation approaches it’s inevitable ending. Hospice interest is on the rise as death and dying stories are experienced, told, retold and written.
This blog offers a forum for discussion of death, dying and hospice.
The hope is that readers will learn about hospice now. Learn about it before they have to make decisions about death and dying – for themselves or someone close to them.
To learn more, you can start with the Hospice and Bereavement section of this web site.
But right here, you can share your own personal stories about death and dying, with or without hospice, here so that others might know that there are a lot of ways this can, happen. And that some are decidedly better than others.
You can add your own post here or can comment on any existing one just below the post itself.