Like welcoming a new life into the world, accepting and embracing the end of a life can and should be, if not joyous, at least a celebration. Yes, there are practical logistics to consider and decisions to be made, but it is also important to take the time to remember the wonderful times, the blessed moments, even the challenges overcome. The end of one’s life is a time of reflection, as well as one of hope for the future that is inherently altered as a result of the actions taken in life.
Whether you are personally in the end phase of your life or a loving caregiver of a person who is dying, very often the details of making arrangements, the logistics of treatments or choosing to terminate treatments, legal and financial matters all seem to grab your attention. Too often, the busyness of doing and preparing overpower the quiet, loving stillness of being – the place of loving unity and being present in the precious moments.
Taking time to go into this stillness, although sometimes frightening and overwhelming, is actually where you find clarity, peace, and awareness. It is here where you come to understand that dying on your own terms, in peace and acceptance is not “giving up” life, but rather it is the “giving up” of struggle.
As a spiritual counselor Nancy supports you or your loved one as you experience the end-of-life moments, whether long-in-coming or suddenly upon you. She lends strength as you explore your feelings openly, even when those feelings are too “heavy or weak or scary” to share with family. She can support you as you question and strengthen your faith – in God, in life, in whatever belief of Life Energy and Spirit you may have. She also offers energetic and spiritual techniques which instill a permeating sense of peace, clarity, and relaxation for you and your loving family, friends, and caregivers. Her integrative and spiritual support works in harmony with the services offered within hospice and hospital programs.
If you are approaching the end of your own life, Nancy provides safe space in which you can share your loving messages with family and friends, perhaps in a celebration of your life! During these times she can also support the well-being of family members and caregivers, so that they can renew their energy, express their love, and feel inner peace, rather than being enveloped in the sadness that is inherent in any end-of-life experience.
It is in the center of love and peace that grief can heal. Everyone involved in the end-of-life process will experience grief. When a cycle in life is closing and we love deeply, we will feel deeply – and as we move and heal through the grief, our hearts continue to experience the love that has been and always will be shared. “Just as death is a component of the life cycle, so too is grief a component of the love cycle.”
For those who hold spiritual beliefs and may not have a religious affiliation but still desire to honor Spirit and Love in an honoring/memorial service, Nancy – as an Interfaith Minister – creates with you and your family an honoring ceremony that ensures that your loving messages are heard again and that your family is embraced in love, compassion, and peace.