lessons

Lessons from the dying:

I have listened to many people at the end of their life’s journey. From them I have learned how precious each breath can be, how wonderful it is to have people who love you, how delicious a cup of coffee can be, how blessed it is to be without pain. For the dying, I have learned much about the details of life, looking and really seeing, listening and really hearing, touching and really feeling. I have learned about not wasting time, I have learned about focusing on real needs. From the dying, I have learned about courage. I have learned about seeking meaning and purpose in my own life. I have learned how important it is for me to acknowledge that my own life will come to an end. I have learned about a deeper spiritual consciousness, realising that our world is so much more than what we can touch, see, and measure. And yet, all of that, the dying claim to receive from us when we are congruent, empathic and show unconditional positive regard. All of this is healing in the midst of woundedness, healing in the midst of loss and grief.

- D.C. Smith (Living with grief: Who we are how we grieve)