Tonight a friend and co-worker of mine just found out she has advanced stage cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is supposedly one of the most treatable cancers if found early. Recently, I’ve come across too many people who let their fear of death hold them back from addressing health concerns. This is a reminder of how …
Facing death is a practical thing. Imagine if birth was as a ‘taboo’ topic as death is. Mothers would be hiding the fact that they’re pregnant and going to give birth. No one could celebrate the child coming. No one would prepare or think about, “Okay, what are we going to need to have before …
Death can be very cruel. A beautiful little boy from Te Anau, New Zealand, recently passed away from cancer. I donated and helped raise funds for him/his family when his story was first shared. As a parent, I’ve empathised with what his parents must be going through. I followed all the updates about Luka and …
What will the end be like? Quick drop in. I read an article today called “We need to talk about dying, and what it means for life to end.” The article encourages people to talk about death and dying, and the hospice. Like it says here in this article, “hospice care” doesn’t mean you no …
The Shock of a Cancer Diagnosis The recent news of Catherine, the Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis has certainly caused shock for many. Each year, in New Zealand alone, over 25,000 people were diagnosed with cancer. As of 2022, in the United States, 1,918,030 new cancer cases were found. Of those people in the US, …
Grief I recently went back to my home country for my dear Grandmother’s funeral. In my culture, the family of the deceased usually walks behind the coffin until the burial site, and that’s what we did. I thought I had processed most of my grief. But, when I was standing with my sons behind my …
My Nana My last living grandparent, my dearest Nana, passed away today. It was not a surprise, as her body’s been in decline for years now. She was one of the most unique people I have ever met. Certainly one of the strongest and bravest. Nana was a little girl during WWII. During the war, …
A Time of Reflection When I was younger, I heard one of my teachers say, “Death comes when you least expect it.” Being so afraid of death as a child, I obsessed about death, almost hoping that by thinking of it and expecting it, it wouldn’t come just yet. Death is a funny thing. I’ve …
Overcoming everyday challenges Facing grief or death can help make everyday challenges seem a bit more bearable. It’s not the easiest thing but it helps put things into perspective. For example, with Christmas and the end of the year just around the corner, lots of people will be feeling the heaviness of the year just …
A Sudden Death Yesterday, what seemed to be an ordinary morning was shook with the news that a dear aunt had suddenly passed. We had just seen her a week or so before. My maternal grandmother also left so suddenly, as did a very dear aunt/mother to me. A shock for everyone, and a reminder …