RUNNING THEIR RACE–NOT ALONE
If I visualize a “runner,” I see lean, muscled arms and legs pumping rhythmically. When I stood at the finish line of the Vancouver Marathon, however, I watched a huge variety of body types and strides complete a victorious run. Of course, some runners were jerky and awkward in their fatigue. A few seemed to [...]
Loneliness + Dependency + Boredom = 3 AVOIDABLE PLAGUES OF OLD AGE
The author of Being Mortal, Atul Gawande, identified Loneliness, Dependency, and Boredom as the 3 AVOIDABLE PLAGUES OF OLD AGE. Would you agree that much could be done to alleviate those three plagues! Consider Plague #1—LONELINESS. I once asked my ninety year old grandmother what she considered the most difficult aspect of growing older. Nana [...]
OUT OF DEATH COMES LIFE
It was only three years after the 1988 fire when we visited the charred forest of Yellowstone National Park. The stripped and blackened trees were already a vivid contrast to the new life growing at their base. The profuse yellow flowers were not delicate wildflowers only to be discovered by a keen observer. These [...]
NOBODY’S FRIEND?
THE WILSON TRIBE My father’s nurse said, Parkinson’s is nobody’s friend. Like me, she viewed illness as an adversary. It grieved me to watch that disease sap my dad’s strength, decrease his mobility, almost silence his voice, and usher in dementia as well. By the end of Dad’s life, however, I could see [...]
7 RULES TO BE “YOUNGER NEXT YEAR”
YOUNGER NEXT YEAR by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D. is a fun read because it is brimming with good news—we CAN take charge of our bodies and slow the aging process to a remarkable degree. Chris writes from his own experience while Harry narrates the professional viewpoint. Harry is an internist who loves [...]
THE FINISH LINE
Usually, we visualize THE FINISH LINE as a place, a strip of paint across the track, a physical destination we strive to reach and crossover. For Heritage of Hope, THE FINISH LINE represents a delineation between our mortal lives and our eternal lives. In John 14, Jesus told the disciples he was going on [...]
TO MAKE YOUR DEATH EASIER ON FAMILY: Make Your Wishes Known
#1 MAKE YOUR WISHES KNOWN: My mother’s passing was particularly sweet because we knew what she wanted. As Mom declined, she had discussed her death with her doctor and her options. She then made her preferences known to us. The hospital staff was very kind to all of us as they administered Comfort Measures Only. [...]
THE ART OF HONORING
Honoring has its challenges both individually and culturally. How much easier it is to slow down and adapt to the needs of a cute little child than respond to those of an older person. We may value life deeply, but an insidious prejudice creeps in. Thankfully, a few stand up on MAX and offer their [...]
BEING MORTAL & HARD CONVERSATIONS
On Being Mortal by Atul Gawande: In an exploratory tone, Dr. Gawande examines the American approach to aging and death from both the physicians’ and the patients’ viewpoint. He chronicles his own maturation as a doctor through numerous case histories of patients and their decision-making processes as well as the final journey of his own [...]
4 REASONS TO HOLD ANNUAL FAMILY MEETINGS
1. Give Permission To Talk About The End Of This Life. Our emotional needs are not served when we remain silent about death in our close relationships. Too often, the person who is dying avoids scaring his loved ones by not sharing his heart until the very last moment. Accordingly, the family doesn’t know if [...]