When people find out Debby Mycroft helps people write ethical wills, she always gets a predictable response: The Lament. “They say, ‘Oh, I wish I had a letter from my dad or grandmother or great aunt,’ whoever that person was. I have not come across a … Continue reading
In a pivotal scene of the documentary End Game, we listen in as team of palliative care professionals discuss Mitra, a 45-year-old woman who is dying of cancer. Should they approach her about hospice? The hospital chaplain urges the group not to bring … Continue reading
Linda Singer has been battling ovarian cancer — and beating it — for nine years. In recent months, though, it became clear that the battle finally had been lost. Rather than dwelling on looming death and planning a traditional funeral service, the ever… Continue reading
Have you ever read a friend’s obituary and had any of these reactions?: You cannot reconcile the person described with what was written about him or her; the events summarized did not constitute what your loved one considered important in life and inst… Continue reading
If there’s a universal symbol for loved ones of alcoholics, I’m not aware of it. But I offer the perfect image: clasped hands tied at the wrists. My husband was a “high-functioning alcoholic,” a misnomer evoking a sense of accomplishment; a more accura… Continue reading
After spending 15 years researching the best ways to support people whose lives end in hospice, professor Elizabeth Bergman has advice for friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers who want to send them a final, poignant message: Mail cards, bu… Continue reading
I was sitting in the office of a new doctor, which is to say, I was filling out a lot of paperwork. There were blank boxes that required my health insurance information. Columns of medical conditions that required Yes/No responses to document my health… Continue reading
Leaving a legacy — sounds like something only wealthy people can do, right? Like making a giant bequest to a university or passing on a significant estate to your children. Actually, though, a new Bank of America Merrill Lynch/Age Wave survey and the n… Continue reading
Before The Widower’s Notebook became an eloquent and poignant memoir, it was six composition-style notebooks filled by the novelist and artist Jonathan Santlofer in a nightly practice which he says “kept him grounded” at a time when he felt wholly “dis… Continue reading
Dressing for important occasions can be stress-inducing, but deciding what to wear to a funeral can be doubly fraught. Dealing with grief and feeling overwhelmed, now you must find something suitable to wear, which can be especially hard if you’ve been… Continue reading