08/01/2025
When End of Life Draws Near
One of the greatest gifts we can give someone who is nearing the end of life is care that meets them where they are—not where our fear or habits want them to be. This can be the hardest shift for loving caregivers—spouses, children, friends, or professionals—who have spent weeks, months, or even years encouraging movement, meals, and engagement.
Then, something changes. The body begins to slow. Appetite fades. Sleep becomes the main companion. The old rhythms of care—urging “just one more bite,” “one more sip,” “let’s take a walk”—no longer fit.
When the body quietly says, “I’m tired.” Forcing food, conversation, or wakefulness in these moments is not care—it is fear dressed as help. Feeling that fear is natural. Meeting reality with courage is the work.
The kindest thing we can do is to realign our care. To recognize that more sleep, less food, and shifting alertness are not failures or problems to solve. They are the body’s wisdom, the natural rhythm of transition.
This is not giving up. It is letting go. It is choosing presence over control, sitting beside our loved one and saying, “I’m here with you, exactly as you are.”
When our care changes to match their reality, we offer something even deeper than support. We offer respect. We offer tenderness. We offer permission for life to unfold in its own sacred way.
Love, Jen
