Week 7 Kim Kusturin ~The End

Death.  That is a subject I do no not like to talk about or think about.  I didn't like to even read about it either.  I was interested in the, or at least, I found it interesting the Four Types of Death (pg. 281).  I have heard of the first two, clinical and brain death but not the last two, biological or social deaths.  I didn't even know that those were a thing.  Like many people I have had my share of deaths in my life.  By my older daughter's age, I had already lost my father (at age 4), two grandparents, a friend, and several other family members.  I am glad they have not had to deal with that kind of loss early in life.  

Grief pg. 284-86) is a journey.  It is something you may need to do alone but at the same time you will need a support system.  My mother-in-law passed away in September of 2016.  My younger daughter still cries about her when she thinks about her.  My husband and older daughter on the other hand do not.  I know they think about her but they do not want to talk about her at all.  Everyone has their own ways to deal with loss and grief. I do my best to be there for them.  My older one was the first grandchild and was the unspoken favorite.  This is her first loss of a close person.  She would not, until the last minute pay her last respects and has not since that day gone to her grave side.  I offer her comfort when I see she needs it.  It hurts to see your kids hurting.  As for my husband, he cried a bit at the hospital and that was it that I know of.  

Just recently, I  realized that this will be the last century alive.  It ends in the year 2100.  I know I will not live that long and I am OK with that.  But then it hit me that this is it. I thought about all the stuff I will miss and great grand kids, great great grand kid and so on.  So, I thought it would be cool to be different.  I'd love to think I'd come back and be a living memorial.  There is these things called Burial Pods.  So, since I hate funerals, I said to my family I want to be a tree.  They looked at me and walked away.  Seriously though, It is an interesting idea.  Have a simple memorial service and be done with all the sadness.  Plant me and let me be a tree. Funerals (pg. 286) have always cheeped me out.  If my family really do not want to plant me, I at the very least, want no plants, just some wild flowers, balloons, may favorite music playing and all of my Snap Chat photos.  Celebrate!  Celebrate me, what I left behind and all those who are there because of me.  That's what would make me happy.  And as much as I do not want to think of it, maybe in a few years i will begin to plan this for my children.  It was horrible having to do this for my mother-in-law.  I do not want my children to go through that.  Kubler-Ross's stages of Grief (pg. 288) make a lot of sense.  I can see myself going through these.  I also helped, or at least I hope I did, my mother-in-law, in her final days.

Hospice is not all it is cracked up to be in my experience.  My mother-in-law had no help what so ever with the hospice (pg.290) group we picked.  They came once, never gave her her last rights and we had to make sure the meds were being given.  We called in the middle of the night to make sure her doses were on time.  We complained but nothing changed.  It was a long hard couple weeks. The video this week was interesting and I wish everyone gets a caring nurse like her.  Like I said, I do not like death or talking about death.  Below is a link to the Burial Pods.

http://www.naturalburialcompany.com/