REMINDER: VOLUNTEER SUPPORT GROUP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2; 5:00-6:30 PM

For active volunteers (whether or not you are currently serving a family) please attend our October Support Group. As part of our caregiving team, the support group is essential to volunteers' well-being and provides in-service education to enhance skills, knowledge and competencies. Join our evening of sharing and insights. as we explore our patient-family experiences. Light refreshments provided. (Kauai Hospice Conference Room).

NEW VOLUNTEERS - WELCOME TO THE KAUA'I HOSPICE 'OHANA!

Patient care volunteers who attended our 3-day September training are (L to R):

Jenna Cundy, Gayle Parker, Anne English, Jeannette Blum, Tanner Kamisky and Mary Hansen.

MAHALO!

THE MOTH RADIO - TRUE STORIES TOLD LIVE

"CARRY HIM SHOULDER HIGH "

By Mary Kate O'Flanagan (6:39 minutes)

Mary Kate O'Flanagan is an award-winning screenwriter and story consultant in the European film and television industry. She is also Ireland’s First Grand Slam Champion Storyteller at The Moth -- a weekly series featuring true stories told live on stage without scripts, notes, props, or accompaniment. In this story, Mary captivates us with her honestly and humor as she takes charge and responsibility for her Dad's funeral. “If there’s one thing the Irish do well, it’s death,” she says.

Listen now.

TV: THE GENTLE ART OF SWEDISH DEATH CLEANING

Based on the New York Times bestselling 2018 book by Margareta Magnusson, this Peacock TV docuseries premiered in April. The idea is to declutter your life before you die to release the burden from the loved ones you leave behind. The 8-episode show is guided by a team of three Swedes: Ella Engström, an organizer; Katarina Blom, a psychologist and Johan Svenson, an interior designer. They help people process the raw complexity of facing death, while creating spaces that feel reflective and comfortable. The show also balances death with humor -- executive producer, Amy Poehler adds her comedic voiceover commentary to help move the audience through some of the most difficult moments. Each story builds toward a physical overhaul of the home, as well as an emotional evolution that normalizes one of our worst fears. Watch an interview with the show’s producers and team.

ARTICLE: FINDING JOY AGAIN AFTER EXPERIENCING GRIEF

BY DR. KAREN SHAW BECKER, DVM

(Bark & Whiskers Newsletter, August 2023)

Erica lost her furry best friend in the most horrific way possible - a tragic accident that involved a friend. Spiraling downward, she realized she had no tools to help her cope with any of it, let alone heal. Erica’s journey back from the depths of her grief included creating a website, Wolfie’s Wish, so that she could share what worked for her with other pet parents mourning the loss of their own animal companions. Mahalo Rev. Caroline Miura for sharing this article. Continue reading…

POETRY: WHAT IF?

BY GANGA WHITE

What if our religion was each other?

If our practice was our life?

If prayer was our words?

What if the temple was the Earth?

If forests were our church?

If holy water – the rivers, lakes and oceans?

What if meditation was our relationships?

If the teacher was life?

If wisdom was self-knowledge?

If love was the center of our being?

Ganga White is the founder of the White Lotus Foundation and is recognized as an outstanding teacher and exponent of Yoga. Photo courtesy of artist Peggy Collins' "The Worship of Trees".

ARTICLE: IS A DO-NOT RESUSCITATE TATTOO A VALID ADVANCE DIRECTIVE?

BY HILARY BINGOL, M.D.

With the growing popularity of tattoos, you may wonder if a tattoo is the best way to express health care wishes. Tattooing "DNR" or "DNI" on your chest may seem like an easy way to permanently express your wishes. But this is ethically controversial and NOT a substitute for a valid advance directive. Continue reading this article from the Mayo Clinic Health System.

GOOD QUOTES:

"I always tell my patients families when you are with the dying you are on holy ground. It is a privilege and an honor to be that close to someone who’s dying."

~ Nina Impala, educator in the end-of-life field, specializing in grief counseling.

www.tutoringforthespirit.com

HUMOR

GRAVESTONES

by people whose

sense of humor

will live forever.