Series 6 Guidance: When Death Visits
We face death many times a day: a tornado obliterates a section
of town; companies close; we see a deceased animal upon the
road; a dream dies. With loved ones and those we admire it can
be more challenging, be they peoples, two leggeds, four leggeds,
and even Sacred Sites. Regardless, when death visits it is a time
for letting go and letting down.
In the following three vignettes, we look at how we can deal with
Death and Dying. Our experience can be:
• Hospitable
• Hostile
• Honorable
Welcome to MedicineSinging’s series When Death Visits.
Series Six Part One: Being Hospitable to Death
We must find a way wherein death is lived as a part of the fabric of our robe of many colors. A way that sees death as fierce, yet honorable. A way that grants hospitality to death and dying between our first day and our last.
We ask how we can be hospitable to death. Some of us find this question offensive, or unkind. Some of us with terrible memories of suffering link it to death itself and fear both suffering and death.
Remember this: If we approach something that may scare us, like a darkened wood, we have several choices; One, turn and run!
Two, press ahead with little or no preparation. Third, if we have learned to know the difference between lost and exploring; and if life and our choices have been equipping us for this moment, then we can change our belief about what lies before us. Or have transformed beliefs.
Perhaps we have found our spiritual or communal or cultural beliefs about death and dying to be helpful and supportive, and perhaps not. But this does not let us off of the hook, for each of us must decide our beliefs about this life experience of dying and death.
The transformation of the beliefs and images we have can be found to change. We separate our fears of pain and suffering from the moment of death itself. And slowly we can change our beliefs from hostile to hospital and then to honorable when contemplating or dealing with death and dying.
If we have disdain for death, when it comes to taking off this robe of many colors (our body) we cannot see the fierceness of death and dying, and its magnificence and immenseness, and its place in the universe. Then we are truly lost.
MedicineSinging hopes to suggest ways to make room for this fierceness of death in our lives. And when we do, when death visits, the path will be illuminated. Perhaps then we can find our way to grant hospitality to that which we call death.
What if…what if we could know for certain about all of this stuff about death and dying. Well, I guess we will all have to stay tuned to find out what happens when death visits. Until then:
How do we have an honorable death?
Welcome to Series Six Part Three: An Honorable Death.