What’s Your Story?
I recently had the honor of attending the 10th anniversary of the storytelling project A Peace of My Mind by the photographer John Noltner; a project that began simply by asking the question, “What does peace mean to you?” Ten years, two books, hundreds of interviews and thousands…
A Purposeful Life by Father Timothy Backous O.S.B
Cathy’s note: My Dad attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota and was quite proud of the education he received at that central Minnesota institution. A member of the St. John’s alumni lunch group sent me this beautiful essay that reflects what End in Mind…
The End in Mind
It’s probably rare to find a staff meeting where the conversation turns to death and exploring how many hours and days each of us has left on earth. In my work, this isn’t out of the ordinary – let me explain. I am the Executive…
A Sign from Above
I’m really glad March is almost done. It’s not my favorite month. In Minnesota, we normally see at least one big snowstorm. It’s like Old Man Winter flipping us the middle finger as he shuffles off into the warmth of April. I’m not fond of…
A Deathbed Playlist
The other day, I was driving to a friend’s house when a song I have long loved came on the radio, She Used to Be Mine, by Sara Bareilles. There are days when the song moves me to tears on its own, but as I…
The Death You Want
“Have you given any thought to how you want your end of life to go?” I gently asked my nearly-94-year-old grandma that question one afternoon as we talked about her younger brother who had died two years earlier. “I don’t want a stranger to find me.” “OK,”…
Dancing with Life and Death
On New Year’s Day, I bid farewell to a dear friend – a beautiful, vibrant woman whom I’ve considered my soul sister since we first met more than 20 years ago. Though she lived 1,500 miles away, I was fortunate to be with her when…
The Courage to be Real
At no time in our relationship has my physician told me that she feels it is a pleasure to care for me. Frankly, while I like her, I don’t expect that kind of emotion from my deadpan doc and given that most physicians usually have…
What will they say about you?
The funeral, earlier this year, for the late President George H.W. Bush seemed to capture the essence of the man and led a newsroom colleague of mine to post this bit of advice on Twitter: Live your life as though your funeral service will be…
Give the gift of “I Love You”
By Christy Moe Marek This holiday season, I find myself reflecting on the ways we can do end of life better. After a doozy of an autumn that brought mortality to my doorstep, several times, both personally and professionally, I am reminded that even when…
The Healing Experience
I remember the day my friend Bruce Kramer said something that puzzled me but in the years since his death have come to appreciate. We were having a conversation about the dismal efforts, over many decades, to find a cure for ALS; a disease that…
Grief and Gratitude
This is a blog post by our friend Christy Moe Marek. A certified death doula who asks the question: “Can we be grateful for our grief?” In this time of Thanksgiving, it is a question I’m trying to answer in the wake of my beloved…
