Difficult Conversations

May 30, 2015 by

Death is hard to talk about. I might argue that its made even more difficult when talking about it with people you love, like say your parents, who are feeling especially contemplative about their own lives and imminent transitions. Within the past three months, my parents have lost upwards of five or six friends to death. Classmates. Former neighbors. Former church members. One life at a time, their community shrinks, and the number of friends they can call, laugh with, remember with becomes smaller and smaller. Recently, the conversations we have had about the business of dying have included finances, funeral arrangements, and other special requests. I’ve listened to the details of their hearts’  desires with stinging eyes and a quivering bottom lip, much like right now. It’s a part of living, death. Dying is natural and we will all...

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The Faith of My Father

Jun 26, 2012 by

Yesterday was a hard day.  It just was.  In addition to worrying over Grandma and the health and cognition slowing ebbing from her 93-year-old body and mind, my heart quaked on behalf of my parents and the health challenges they are facing head on.  My father, diabetic and with a wound that is not healing, went in for a standard procedure to create blood flow to his legs that are as dry as a desert.  As he was prepped for the surgery, his doctor determined his veins were too far collapsed and that he needed another, more involved surgery instead to have a chance at creating a healthy circulation in his lower limbs.  I learned all of this over the phone and through the tearful confession from my mom, my sweet Billie Jean. I...

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