Category Archives: End of Life

Becoming An Orphan

Posted on January 11, 2023 by gerrystarnes

At the end of last year, I suddenly – but not unexpectedly – became an orphan. At the age of 69, that is no small event. Becoming an orphan at any age is, of course, no small event. Still, with … Continue reading →

Posted in End of Life, Family, General, Healing, Relationship | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Living With Grief

Posted on December 19, 2022 by gerrystarnes

The experience of grief is part of being human. Everyone encounters the emotion many times in life, though we usually connect it to the loss of a loved one. This was a rough year, and it is ending raggedly. At … Continue reading →

Posted in End of Life, General, Relationship | 2 Comments

Elder Parents Journey: Returning Home

Posted on November 18, 2019 by gerrystarnes

My father’s stroke happened near the first of January this year. The journey from the hospital, to skilled nursing care, and then assisted living was very quick, and many things had to fall exactly right for it all to work … Continue reading →

Posted in End of Life, General, Healthcare, Learnings | 3 Comments

Elder Parents Journey: Tender Moments

Posted on April 27, 2019 by gerrystarnes

There are ten thousand things I would rather be doing than what I am doing right now. Looking through literally hundreds of personal files and photographs is both interesting and heart-rending. The most poignant from today was a birthday card … Continue reading →

Posted in End of Life, General | Leave a comment

Elder Parents Journey: Spirit of the Land

Posted on April 24, 2019 by gerrystarnes

My father always had a connection with his land and property that could be called shamanic, though he would never use or approve of that term. One of the key characteristics of shamanic practice is that it is rooted in … Continue reading →

Posted in End of Life, General, Society, Spirituality | 3 Comments