Why Hospice is a Loving choice
In the short span of time that Lo Anne Mayer and I have been in each other’s lives, she feels like a kindred spirit, one I was meant to connect with for a specific purpose. Her grace, love and light shine through not just her words, but the very essence of her being. Her book Celestial Conversations will change the way you look at communication with your loved ones who have crossed over. Through a process of journaling, Lo Anne has been able to write letters to her deceased mother and receive responses, a life-changer in healing their relationship. In this interview, Lo Anne talks about the origins of her interest in hospice, why hospice is a loving choice, her relationship with God and death, and the gift of journaling that was given to her.
1. What led you down the spiritual path?
My interest in the spiritual seems to have no beginning. As a child, I was always fascinated with angels, fairies and nature. I grew up in the Catholic faith and had a special love for Mary all my life. My interest in metaphysics began in my thirties when I received an Astrology chart as a gift. I was told by the Astrologer that I had a special gift for healing that would evolve over the years. This inspired me to explore all kinds of healing beyond nutrition and my religious understanding of healing. Through the Association of Research and Enlightenment in VA, I was introduced to the world of Edgar Cayce. I was like a kid in the candy store. I tried everything, but was especially interested in hands-on healing and the mind-body-spirit connection. My interest led me to be certified in therapeutic touch, hospice, nutrition, angel meditation as well as Louise Hay’s mind-body philosophy in the “Heal Your Life” course I taught for 12 years.
For the last 25 years, through my teaching of spiritual classes, I met people who were practicing many forms of healing. I became a Reiki master. I wrote and taught my own course “Choosing Joy.” Fifteen years ago, I produced my own cable television show “Angels at Work” which emphasized the good things that ordinary people do. My world continues to grow with spiritual friends as the subject of healing has become more universally accepted in society today. Celestial Conversations has taken me beyond the veil to find healing in life after death.
2. How did you start to get interested in hospice?
My particular interest in hospice came as a result of my cousin’s battle with cancer fifteen years ago. While trying to be helpful to her and her family, I was confused as to why they didn’t choose hospice.After Lynn died, I took the course for volunteers and became a firm believer in the hospice mission. I even gave talks about hospice and offered workshops for hospice volunteers who give so much of themselves.
3. You had a difficult relationship with your mother while she was alive. Can you share more about that and how it was healed?
Yes, my relationship with my mother was difficult during her lifetime. She was a private person who shared no intimate information with me, her only daughter. She became defensive if I asked anything that she considered private. While she was a good person, she had many fears about God and death, about being alone, and about sharing her innermost feelings. It made our relationship very challenging. I never knew when I had “crossed the line” to her private world until she became silent and angry or I was told by a third party that she was upset. As a result, I became very judgmental and resentful of her, which only drove the wedge between us even further apart.
Witnessing Mother’s incredibly beautiful death (described in my book) was a shock to me since she was terrified of The Angel of Death. After her death, I increasingly craved an explanation of her earthly behavior. Journaling was recommended to me by a hospice friend. Celestial Conversations was the result. I knew other people had received information from beyond the veil. As soon as I began my transpersonal journaling with Mom, I discovered that there were many reasons why she behaved the way she did. In her letters, she shared things that I never knew when she was alive. Either she couldn’t tell me private information about her life or she didn’t think I would understand if she did tell me. Forgiveness came very easily for me as I learned what happened to her in her human life. It was like peeling an onion. After a few months of journaling, I found that my judgment and resentment were replaced by forgiveness and unconditional love. The kind of love I had always searched for in our human relationship.
You may also want to check out my post Why are we so afraid of death?