Strengths or transformations related to caring for the dying
• New talents
• New skills
• New ways of relating to others or the world
Death teaches us what is important in life.
Death teaches about love, compassion, and forgiveness.
Death can teach us to truly appreciate and savor life.
Once the death has occurred, there is a period of re-orientation to the ordinary world and assimilation of the gifts. Support is therefore not a short-term process but may take several months. (This is where bereavement support comes in to play.)
When someone is dying, everything we have ever felt about that person surfaces with great intensity…positive and negative.
Practice acknowledging your feelings but you do not have to necessarily act on them.
Death = ultimate loss of control. We can be most helpful by letting them be as much in control of the situation as possible. Let them direct it.
How to support one another
• Listen- over and over and over again
• Silence –leave lots of space for silence
• Cry- let others cry 6 mins average, releases toxins
• Be clear for yourself
Journal, create, get counseling and support, exercise, eat well. Sleep…
Nurture compassion for yourself and others
Use your own feelings as a compass.
