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Understand Death on a Deeper Level, October
12, 2009
Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley have truly given the world a
gift with their thoughtful book. Not only does this book
describe what happens at the point of death, it explains how to
deal with the stages of death as they appear. I especially could
appreciate the sections that explained how to facilitate a
peaceful death.
By reading this book I gained a deeper understanding of death
itself and became more aware of how family and friends can make
dying a more peaceful process. While this book does touch on a
few near-death experiences it is mainly concerned with
"nearing death awareness."
The real-life examples throughout make this book highly
meaningful and at times brought me close to tears. I'd recommend
this book to anyone who has a friend or relative who is near
death or is terminally ill. This would also be especially
helpful for physicians, nurses, family members and friends of
the dying.
Here are a few other book I can highly recommend:
Finding
Your Way After Your Spouse Dies
When
Death Occurs
A
Garden of Love and Healing: Living Tributes to Those We Have
Loved and Lost
Grief
Expressed: When a Mate Dies
Unspeakable:
The Truth About Grief
I
Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After
the Sudden Death of a Loved One
Facing
the Ultimate Loss: Confronting the Death of a Child
Grieving
God's Way
~The Rebecca Review
Final Conversations
An Especially Important Book Everyone Needs to Read,
September 23, 2009
"Most people die the same way that they lived."
By writing "Final Conversations," Maureen Keeley and Julie
Yingling have really given a gift to the world. Dying is a topic we
often shy away from because frankly it scares us to think of life
ending. This book however is a very healing read and addresses all
the concerns you may have about dealing with the death of someone
you love.
The authors guide the reader through the process of dealing with
death in a practical way. By reading this book filled with real-life
examples you will be better prepared to face a loved ones' death and
to learn from the experience.
One of the stories that stood out for me was the beautiful story of
a father who hums a song to his daughter over the phone just days
before he dies. Since he can no longer talk this is the only way
they could communicate. As she sings along with his humming they are
still able to connect in a profound way. This book also explains how
to communicate with someone when they are incapable of verbal
communication.
There are some interesting chapters in this book that explore how
children deal with death and how adults deal with the death of
parents who they didn't really get along with. In the end love is
all that counts and these brave souls face seemingly insurmountable
challenges.
Normally I can finish a book in a matter of hours but this book took
me a great part of the day to read and absorb. The lessons I learned
will help me deal with the death of those I love. This is an
especially important book that everyone should read!
~The Rebecca Review
Great Answers
Dealing with Death as a Child, September 10,
2009
When I was a child we lived overseas and my maternal grandfather
died. I had only seen him a few times in my life and had no
emotional connection to him. So when my mother went to bed and cried
for days I had no understanding of what was happening or what had
happened. No one really talked to me about why my grandfather had
died or even told me what death was.
I wouldn't wish this type of confusion on any child, which is why
I'd recommend adults read this very helpful book. Linda Goldman
knows exactly what to say and how much to say. This is important
because children of various ages have different questions. Children
may be angry, frustrated or very sad and may not even understand
what death is.
I liked Linda Goldman's explanation of death as "the body stops
working." That says enough while not getting into too many
details. I liked her ideas of having children draw pictures of how
they imagine heaven to be. She also recommended having a child write
a goodbye letter.
This book deals with issues like murder, cancer, hospice care, AIDS,
death due to old age, the death of a pet and handling holidays after
someone dies. Overall I felt this book would be excellent for anyone
trying to explain death to a child in a way they could really
understand what happened. There is also information on how to handle
memorial services and funerals. I wish my parents had read a book
like this when I was a child.
~The Rebecca Review
Transitions
Profoundly Beautiful Stories of the Dying, July
30, 2017
"We are spiritual beings having these human
experiences for a very short time so that we can learn to
love." ~ a lovely soul
Talking about death in our culture is difficult enough. Writing a
book about death is quite an accomplishment. "Transitions"
is filled with experiences
the author had with patients and families over a period of thirty
years. The book begins with some humor but gets more serious as it
progresses. What is most interesting is the detailed conversations
Becki Hawkins has with patients while they were ill or dying.
One patient tells a beautiful story of how his experience of life
changed after cancer. Becki Hawkins also shares what she went
through with her brother when he was fighting cancer. That is the
most detailed of the stories as she was there from beginning to end.
I felt she captured the love of a sister helping her brother through
the most difficult time of his life.
Halfway through this book I had a good cry. I could not read any
further and left the book for several days until I felt I was
prepared to go back and finish the stories. Some of these stories
are tear inducing. All have unique endings. Not every situation is
recorded until the very end so it is not a scary, depressing book at
all.
Becki Hawkins writing style is pleasantly creative and she captures
moments effectively in each story. She has great powers of
description that make you feel like you are in the room with her. I
also enjoyed learning how the situations she encountered changed her
life and made her a better person. Her advice for what to do when
visiting the dying is invaluable. She also talks about how to care
for those who are grieving.
I came away from this book thinking how precious life is and what a
gift it is to be with the dying when they are fragile and need
constant care. Becki Hawkins' wisdom is profoundly beautiful.
~The Rebecca Review
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