Posts Tagged ‘death’
GriefSpeak: Seasons of Love – Dr. Mari Dias
By: Dr. Mari Dias “Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutesFive hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dearFive hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutesHow do you measure? Measure a year? In daylights,In sunsets,In midnights,In cups of coffee,In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutesHow do you measure a…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: NOSDA – Dr. Mari Dias
By: Dr. Mari Dias, contributing writer End of Life (EOL) is a time of reflection and memories- visiting or revisiting achievements and regrets. Individuals at EOL need to be treated with dignity and respect. We need to fill their final months, weeks or days with their requests. Not ours. In comes NOSDA (No One Should…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: What do you say to someone who is dying? – Mari Dias
GriefSpeak: What do you say to someone who is dying? By: Dr. Mari Dias “Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down” (The Carpenters, 1971) Terminal Illness is often easier on the dying than the living. As a death doula, many express this – stating that the “living” are fraught with anxiety and anticipatory grief…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: Henry’s Hesitation – Dr. Mari Dias
By: Dr. Mari Dias They were a collection of individuals attending a “General Grief” group. It was the first weekly session of a six-week program. Three women – Joan, Loretta, and Rachel, along with two men -Henry and Rex. Henry dominated the group from the very beginning with his booming, deep voice and a persona…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: Dirty Laundry (Reprise) – Dr. Mari Dias
By: Dr. Mari Dias Sadie and Andy discussed the pandemic a year ago, each in agreement that at this stage of their lives it was unfair. They weren’t living. They were simply existing. The stay-at-home order was not on their bucket list. They had plans – big travel plans. While waiting for a bright spot…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: A Christmas Story: Do You Believe? – Dr. Mari Dias
By: Dr. Mari Dias A Christmas Story: Do You Believe? “Some of us are given many signs, yet many refuse to believe them” When Patricia’s father fell and broke his hip this Fall, she was reminded of her mother’s identical injury, along with the subsequent, anticipated problems that led to mom’s death. Patricia was very…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: The Gift of Goodbye
By: Dr. Mari Dias “We long for the gift of goodbye… Where do we go from here? The sadness won’t just disappear Watching the clock it never stops Where do we go from here?” (Lyrics by Joe Matira/Dean Petrella, July 2020) “Tis the season. Children have crafted their wish lists for Santa, families and friends…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: “Life Before Life”
By: Dr. Mari Dias “It is not surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection” (Voltaire) Angela, a 60-something year-old grandma whose husband died recently shared a story with me that piqued my curiosity. I believe it will do the same for you. Angela’s granddaughter, Patricia, a bright, precocious 8-year-old spends…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: A Happy Death
By: Dr. Mari Dias “To die, to sleep – To sleep, perchance to dream – ay there’s the rub. For in this sleep of death what dreams may come.” (William Shakespeare) Griffin was a dear cousin of mine. Like most cousin relationships in the 50’s and 60’s, we played manhunt and hide and seek in…
Read MoreGriefSpeak: Call the Death Doula
By: Dr. Mari Dias “I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello” (Beatles, Hello, Goodbye, 1967) Many of you have watched “Call the Midwife” either on BBC or more recently on Netflix. Many are familiar with the term “midwife”, or ‘doula” as someone who is trained to assist women in childbirth. A death…
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