Tag: end of life
-
Why Throw A Living Memorial?
My husband turned 70 this week and the pre-Corona plan was to throw him an Honor Dinner (or Living Memorial) to celebrate his life. Now you might be asking what is the difference between an Honor Dinner and a birthday party. Quite simply it is the sentiment expressed. Let’s think about a regular memorial for […]
-
Pandemic Traumatic Grief
To a certain degree there is trauma in every loss, whether it is the unexpectedness of it, the suffering of it, the impact of it, the violence of it or the massiveness of it. Every loss has an element of trauma to it. It is the magnitude of the event that makes it traumatic. As […]
-
The Story Of Hope
I come into people’s lives at times when hope is challenged. I hear phrases such as, “we aren’t giving up hope”, “there’s no hope” and “it’s hopeless”. Individuals often describe feeling hopeless as well. Hope is not a feeling. It is something you feel yes, but in and of itself, hope is not a feeling. […]
-
Carol
Holistic Support In Uncertain Times Carol was the neighborhood mom of my adolescence. Carol’s daughter, Marsha, and my younger sister were the best of friends. While in our youth we were not allies, as we grew into adulthood we grew closer. I had peripherally understood that Carol had battled a few different types of cancer […]
-
Employee End of Life Benefits
In my 30 year career I have worked several places and not one employer had what I call sufficient support for those who were bereaved. Not even the hospices. Three days of paid leave and maybe some flowers. That’s usually the sum total of support an employer lends to an employee after they experience the […]
-
When Death Comes – An End of Life Doula Perspective
Early on Life taught me that it had a set of bookends named Birth and Death. I was not afforded the luxury of death denial. I understood clearly that death was always part of the deal. This perspective impacted my life in a deep soulful way. A way that made me seem odd in the […]
-
Isn’t That What Hospice Is For?
I spoke to a hospital chaplain the other day to speak to her about my end of life doula services. Her initial response to me was, “that’s what we have hospice for.” If you haven’t already, pause here to read https://willowsongmedicine.wordpress.com/2019/09/08/the-elephant-in-the-room-is-dying/ which gives relevant facts related to the systematic underutilization of hospice services and late […]
-
Why ‘Sacred Healing Facilitator’?
For those who have been following me for awhile, you might have noticed I have changed ‘titles’ several times. It has never been easy ascribing myself a label. I’ve always lived with the idea that I don’t have a box, so therefore no place for a label on me. For those who have been following […]
-
A Late Announcement Is Better Than None At All…
Some of you have followed me for a long time from Namaste` Holistic Services, The Sentient Soul, WillowSong Medicine Woman to Mystic Willow. Some of you have known me as Judy Polimac, Judy Edwards, Judy Klemos and from Judy, to Jude to Jade. I appreciate your acceptance and support as I have done my own […]