When Annie was three, her mother and sister died together in childbirth. Annie’s baby sister was buried with her mother, but wasn’t named or mentioned at the funeral. Fifty years later, Annie still struggled with her grief. [Read more…]
Saying Goodbye to a Dying Cat
Lisa and Marie are nine-year-old twins. Their mom, Molly, called me one day because Zoe, the family’s almost-20-year-old cat, was in her dying time. Zoe had lost weight, and her body was clearly shutting down. [Read more…]
A Community Support Circle After a Stroke
This is a very personal story. In 2008 my father had a massive stroke. Overnight, my Dad went from having an independent life, to being paralyzed on one half of his body, and unable to care for himself or act [Read more…]
Phone Support for a Father’s Dying
Petra booked a phone session with me because she knew her father was approaching his dying time. In his late 80’s, he’d been healthy up until now, but had recently begun to deteriorate. We talked about the decisions and [Read more…]
A Home Funeral for a Grandfather
This is Kathleen Charpentier's story about the rituals I led with her family around the death and funeral of her husband, Richard Griebel. I'm grateful to Kathleen for inviting me to be part of this journey. [Read more…]
A Euthanasia Ritual for a Beloved Dog
King was an active dog, and when he stopped running along the trails his owners knew something wasn’t right. A couple of vet appointments and a blood test confirmed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an incurable disease. [Read more…]