How to honor death & grief

This weekend is one of the hardest ones out of the year for me. Mostly because Saturday is the date of my Dad's death. He actually died on Tuesday. Dates and days are funny things when they come up so many years later. Our bodies remember the days rather than the dates, at least that has been my experience. Choosing to honor death regardless of how I feel has been part of how I move forward.

I would wager that the same things are happening for your residents/patients/loved ones. In your line of work, grief, death, and regrets are everyday experiences and feelings for those around you. I'm sure you have your own coping mechanisms with how you manage to get through it all while still being human with the people in your care. If you would like a few more, I've done extensive writing on it, but the article below is a good place to start.

Having open and honest conversations about death and dying is a great way to connect on a wickedly deep level with another person. It is also one way to restore human dignity and let another person know you honor and respect their grief experience.

Mini-Trainings & Death

Just about every day (except weekends) I am dropping podcast snippets designed to help you connect, build rapport, and support your storytellers. Topics vary from how to's to specific 5 minute storytelling scripts. Each snippet is usually less than 2 minutes with a few exceptions. You can find it on almost all the major podcasting platforms by searching “5 Minute Storytelling” or by starting here. 

These mini-trainings include segments on death, loss, and so much more to help you engage on a human level with your residents. This conversation can be incredibly difficult to start, I get it. These scripts can help you ease into the hard conversations and help you create deeper connections.

I hope you can find a way to weave these important conversations into your day. For me, this is top of mind because this time of year is peppered with major losses that have happened over the years. Even if this isn't relevant for you right at this moment or you aren't ready to have these conversations, remember you can always come back and visit when you are ready.

-Gael

Why You Need to Share Your Story – 5 Minute Storytelling – A Legacy Recorder Podcast

1. Why You Need to Share Your Story 06:37
2. Our Irish Heritage: A Look at family traditions and why they matter 07:12
3. 5 Ways to Select Photos to Include in Memorial Videos 04:47
4. How to Honor a Deceased Loved One and Offer Support with Storytelling 09:58
5. Storytelling With the People You Love and What's Next 04:56
6. Wrapping Up 52 Weeks of Storytelling 04:30
7. Week 52 of 52 Weeks of Storytelling – Favorite Cooking Memory 07:27
8. Week 51 of 52 Weeks of Storytelling – Favorite Baking Memory 06:42
9. Week 50 of 52 Weeks of Storytelling – Most Memorable Dream 06:58
10. Week 49 of 52 Weeks of Storytelling – Celebrating Life and Loss memories 08:33