Tending to Endings (forty-two)
Thank you to all of you who sent your good wishes! John’s surgery went well. His new knees are healing well and he has started physical therapy.
This week, I’m sharing an eclectic collection of media related to the theme of endings that I have found interesting or helpful or moving. Also, since there are quite a few new subscribers to Tending to Endings, I’m sharing a few links to early posts on various topics you may have missed.
A Timely Essay
Christopher Solomon writes a beautifully about the unknowns of the coming of winter during COVID time, in a New York Times essay, In My Mountain Town, We’re Preparing for Dark Times
A Memoir via Podcast
Goodbye to All This is a new podcast I was introduced to through Death, Sex, and Money (which I recommended a couple posts ago). Sophie Townsend tells the story of losing her husband to cancer while her kids are still young with heart wrenching honesty.
Two TED Talks on Grief
In What Makes Life Worth Living in the Face of Death, Lucy Kalinithi packs a great deal of wisdom and emotion in to a sixteen minute TED Talk about losing her husband.
In How My Dad’s Dementia Changed my Idea of Death (and Life) Beth Malone speaks with frankness, grief and love about her father’s dementia.
A Few Poems about Living and Dying
Sheltered in Place by Richard Levine
“You watch your boy struggle/with giving up the turtle…”
Birches by Robert Frost
“When I see birches bend left and right…”
Vespers by Louise Glück
“In your extended absence you permit me/use of the earth…”
Perhaps the World Ends Here, Joy Harjo
“The world begins at the kitchen table…”
In Case You Missed Them: A Few Early Tending to Endings
On Grief was written when the COVID stay-home order first started in March. And, Body of Grief (February 28) was about my surprise at the emotion I had about my mother’s ashes.
Love in the Room (January 24) explores ways to show up for someone even when you can’t be physically present.
Tell me More (March 13) is a post about things I learned (sometimes the hard way) about loving someone with Alzheimer’s.
I Hear You (February 7) and the inaugural post, Tending to Endings (January 3) offer ways into the conversation about death.
And, more recently, if you missed my conversation with hospice chaplain Norm Shrumm a couple weeks ago, Words and Wishes (October 9) is full of warm wisdom about end-of-life planning.
Have a beautiful weekend,
Laura
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So lovely and, as always, so helpful, Laura.