Finding Solace

17/01/2024

Dying for Beginners, with

A short animation about the process of dying which may bring comfort to those who are feeling scared by the thought of their loved ones dying.

It runs through all the changes a loved one will likely experience and reassures that this is all completely normal. Things like sleeping more, eating less. Drifting more and more frequently into states of non-awareness. Changes in breathing pattern and the noises associated with this. All of this is normal (and can be expected)..

Death has become so medicalised in modern society that few people actually witness the death of another. When they are faced with a dying Friend they can feel scared and often confuse the normal processes of dying with pain and suffering. Knowing what to expect can help lower your anxieties and allow you to be more present for the Friend who is dying.

If you feel you need some support or guidance for someone's death journey (whether it’s your own or someone else's) don’t hesitate to reach out.

Video found here: https://vimeo.com/877812590

12/01/2024

DOSED: A Trip of a Lifetime

A documentary following Laurie who has bowel cancer and is told she has 3-6 months to live. She joins a psilocybin (aka ‘Magic Mushrooms’) research study with the aim to help her reduce her anxiety around dying. I don’t want to give too much away because Laurie’s journey is quite the ride.

There is a growing body of research in support of the use of psychedelics in easing people's fears and anxieties around facing their own mortality. Laurie herself found that her experience helped her face her fear of dying, reassured her that her family would be okay when she leaves and helped her identify areas of emotional pain which may have contributed to the situation in which she found herself. She found the experience incredibly healing.

DOSED Movies

10/01/2024

This children's book delicately explores the topic of dying and the afterlife with beautiful illustrations alongside.

A duck befriends a character called death, who as it turns out has been following her all her life.

Meg Rosoff, in a review for The Guardian, called Duck, Death and the Tulip an "outstanding book": "There is something infinitely tender in the way Death strokes her ruffled feathers into place, lifts her body and places it gently in the river, watching as she drifts off into the distance."

Are there any other children's books that you've found have treated the subject with the same tenderness?

09/01/2024

I was asked to say a prayer this morning for a dying Friend. I used this prayer which I find often brings people comfort.

“God, thank you for being with us right now. We confess that we don’t understand why things happen the way they do. We don’t understand why illness comes into our lives, but we do know that you walk every path of life with us. Remind [Friend] that you are walking with them right now. Remind [Friend] that you love them, no matter what they are going through. I also pray for [Friend]’s family. Give them your strength as they care for [Friend]. God, we thank you that you never leave us, that you never forsake us, but you love us. We trust you, and pray this in your name. Amen.”

Are there any prayers that bring you comfort in the difficult journeys of your life?

Prayer from this page: https://www.crossroadshospice.com/hospice-palliative-care-blog/2017/may/04/prayers-for-the-dying-a-prayer-for-hospice-patients/

08/01/2024

What a wonderful idea, a postbox you can send physical letters to those who have parted.

“I just carried a lotta guilt,” Ramos says. The letter helped her move through those feelings.

This one is based in the USA but I can see there are some dotted around the UK. Have you sent a letter to someone that's passed? How did it make you feel to send it?

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2023-12-13/la-po-box-letters-to-dead-loved-ones

Postal Service for the Dead, started by artist Janelle Ketcher, provides the living with a way to physically write and send letters to those who have died.