Dying with Ease – watercress words by Dr Aletha

A Beginner’s Guide to the End

A Beginner’s Guide to the End by B.J. Miller and Shoshana Berger offers practical advice for navigating life and death. Combining personal experiences and practical information, it covers essential topics such as planning ahead, dealing with illness, and understanding grief. The book serves as a helpful resource for anyone facing mortality.

Diseases, Injuries, and Dying

Why you should get ready to die while you live -a book review

“The reason obituaries are so dull to read is that they are so dull to write and that’s precisely why I’m writing my own: To save my family the drudgery in an otherwise stressful time.”

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Exploring the HEART of health, life, and death

I hope you don’t need to read any of these books now, but the reality is many of you do, or will eventually. People I know who have faced death with peace and confidence fare much better, as do their families. Be knowledgeable and prepared for your sake and for theirs.

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Dr. Aletha

Call me weird, but I enjoy reading obituaries because I enjoy learning about people. Some obits revel in listing the person’s achievements-education degrees, military service medals, business positions, public and volunteer service recognition;descriptions of exotic travel, unique hobbies, special interests, creative pursuits and talents.

One of my favorite obits was different; simple, yet revealing a wealth of information about a man known simply as Jim (edited slightly for privacy)

“Jim, who died at 90 years old, was born on Valentine’s Day. He grew up on a farm, joined the Army, and went to a state teacher’s college on the GI Bill.

There he met his wife, and they had 2 children and 5 grandchildren. He earned a master’s degree and spent his professional life as a teacher of math, science, and social studies to elementary students. After retirement, he continued working as a tutor.

Jim enjoyed backyard gardening, walking to the library, math problems, weather reports and local high school sports. Jim always put the needs of others before himself.

In lieu of flowers please plant a flower, a tree, or even a vegetable garden. Jim would really like that.”

Despite his obituary’s simplicity, I feel like I knew Jim, he was someone I would have liked, even having as a neighbor. Obits don’t have to be complicated and fancy, and neither does life, if Jim is any proof.

Unfortunately, death can be complicated. For some of us, a life-threatening or terminal health situation forces us to face death and if we’re wise, to prepare ourselves and our family . In other cases, unprepared families are left to deal with it while also grieving.

I have reviewed these two books that help us and our families make dying and death less arduous than it inevitably is. They cover the practical, financial, and social aspects of dying, as well as the medical, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Read them before you need them-because we all need them eventually.

A Beginner’s Guide to the End-a book review

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November 4, 2019July 1, 2026

Dying with Ease- a book review

Dr. Spiess doesn’t suggest that confronted with terminal illness we refuse treatment and give up. He advocates thinking about and planning for the dying process long before we develop an illness that might be fatal.

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July 7, 2021July 7, 2021