Tips for Self-Care as Beloveds Die

In the first article of this two-part series on preparing for death and grief, Preparing Families for a Beloved’s Death, I covered how to prepare others for a beloved’s death. Here I’m offering simple but necessary things you need to do to keep yourself healthy and balanced as you support the living—and the dying. These are things we don’t usually think about, so let’s get to them. The How-To’s of Self-Care as Beloveds Die by Robyn M Fritz     Whether a human or animal family member is dying, the living has work to do you’re grieving, possibly in shock, and trying to figure out what to do to help yourself, your family, and your dying beloved get through it.   Don’t Buy into the Guilt The current medical establishment believes that fighting death, no matter the odds or the suffering involved, is more important than a life well-lived, and a death gently met. Someday the system will grow up. In the meantime, you are a grown-up for it. Pain, suffering, and disability are cruel things. You will know when enough is enough. You cannot beat death. You can make it acceptable—even glorious. If you live somewhere where humans can choose to end their lives, discuss this option with beloveds, and support their choice. For your animals, yes, you’ll feel bad if you resort to euthanasia, and you haven’t sorted through the whys and why-not with them, yourself, and the rest of the family. You’ll feel bad if you don’t and drag out an ending that causes misery for no good reason. You’ll feel bad, regardless. Take steps to support yourself by figuring out what the limits are for both the dying and the living. Walk away from anyone who tries to make you feel guilty for choosing to meet death on…

Continue Reading