Death and Dying

Musings on Aging and Death

A recent illness has forced me not to deny the facts of my apparent mortality any longer. Culturally, through a…

My Father and the Right to Die

I used to dread my father’s annual letter in which he informed me of his desires in case he should…

The Ability to Choose as Death Approaches

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion, without the discomfort of thought." —John F. Kennedy In 1980 Elisabeth Kubler-Ross,…

Care of the Dying: A Spiritual Discipline

Attending the death of a loved one is a painful, sometimes disturbing experience. Frequently it has a deeply mysterious quality,…

How Can You Do That Work?

When I spent my professional life as a full-time emergency room nurse, my friends could not get enough of my…

Gifts from the Closet

It’s Saturday and I’ve managed to keep it open. I’m determined to clean out the closet in my spare room…

Dear Mum

Note: This is a letter addressed to the author’s deceased mother, Virginia Hutton, shortly after her death on July 30,…

When Jesus Visits

Most Quakers are familiar with George Fox’s spiritual epiphany. He was alone and in desperate need of spiritual nurturance. It…

True Celebrity

The best thing that happened to me at South Central Yearly Meeting (of which I am not a member) was…

A Celebration of Life and Death

Nothing heals grief but grieving, a truth that is illustrated in Cathy Weber’s Grief Series, 20 paintings that she began…

Jack's Last Day

The morning before Jack died I drew the death card and knew without question its symbolic as well as literal…

Our Contributions are Vital, even at the End

The Viewpoint letter "Healthcare at the End of Life" (FJ Oct. 2001) addressed several concerns on which many of us…
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