Posts by umagirish
The Purpose of a Grief Support group
The pain of grief is something only the grieving understand. The purpose of a grief support group is to offer that understanding and make you feel less alone. When my mother passed away and I was in deep shock and pain, the best healing gift I gave myself was a Grief group. Drowning in a turbulent maelstrom…
Read MoreWhen someone you love is dying
When someone you love is dying, all kinds of emotions rise up. In Last Acts of Kindness: Lessons for the Living from the Bedsides of the Dying, Judith Redwing Keyssar writes: “People tend to do what makes them feel comfortable when a loved one is dying. In an attempt to control their emotions, some make…
Read MoreThe Cycle of Birth and Death
Eckhart Tolle is one of my favorite modern-day mystics. In his book A New Earth Tolle talks about the duality of life. There’s night and day, up and down, happy and sad, tall and short, the cycle of birth and death. Duality is the nature of the physical world we live in. It is a world…
Read MoreDealing with grief on Mother’s Day
I write this post with tears streaming down my face. Dealing with grief on Mother’s Day is always hard. It reminds me that the hole in my soul will never go away, no matter how many years go by. It reminds me of the love and tenderness with which my mother nourished me, something that helps me…
Read MoreThe End Stages of Life
In this conversation Judith Redwing Keyssar explains the terms “hospice” and “palliative” care, which are the end stages of life. She also shares about self-care for caregivers and cultural differences in death and dying. 6. People oftentimes think of hospice as “giving up on a loved one.” How would you respond? NO, NO, NO. Hospice is…
Read MoreComforting Someone Who is Dying
Judith Redwing Keyssar is so much more than her impressive credentials. She is someone who is comfortable with death and dying, and is great at comforting someone who is dying. As Director of the Palliative and End-of-Life Care at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the San Francisco Bay Area, she assists people through this…
Read MoreWhy do we Fear Death?
Why do we fear death? Maybe it’s because it is the Great Unknown. I’ve found that it’s only by inching toward it that we get a little comfortable with the idea that it is everyone’s ultimate destination. The call came at 10:15 on a Sunday morning. It was Lana, the hospice nurse, calling to let…
Read MoreGrieving A Mother
Grieving a mother who died when you were 28 years old is a shattering experience. Wisconsin native Chelsea Hanson is the founder of With Sympathy Gifts and Keepsakes. An only child, Chelsea lost her dad when she was only four. Losing her mom Donna when she was 28 years old was another devastating blow. Today, the…
Read MoreTurning My Pain into Purpose
Turning my pain into purpose is the only way I’ve known to transcend the grief of my mother’s loss. I’ve been in Chennai, India, for two weeks now. This is my first trip back home after both my parents went home to their Maker. My mother in January 2009, my father in August 2010. In…
Read MoreWhat happens when you die?
What happens when you die? If you suffer from a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to the “soul”, “afterlife” or “beings of light”, this is a must-read for you. Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife is an account of Dr. Eben Alexander’s life-altering near-death experience. With impressive credentials like Massachussetts General…
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