Mourning Grace

By Maya Angelou

If today, I follow death

go down its trackless wastes,

salt my tongue on hardened tears

for my precious dear times waste

race

along that promised cave in a headlong

deadlong

haste,

Will you

have

the

grace

to mourn for

Me?

(This is one of my favorite poems by Maya Angelou. I thought it would be a good idea to put this poem here, as it is about death.)

The other four "Cards of Life and Death" art cards

Again these cards were created by the artist Kornel Ravadits from Budapest Hungary. These are the other four cards that I found that he done. I do not believe he did anymore of these cards.

Speakers in Class

Some days ago we had some speakers come to our Death and Dying class. All the speaker were from Hospice(McLeod Hospice). The speakers came in three groups for three days. I learn a whole lot of things about Hospice that did not know or misunderstood. I could have done without hearing the second group of speakers. The two people did say alot of things that was good to know about, it just that they made me feel sad that day in class. These two people are over Spiritual needs, Psychosocial needs and bereavement care at the Hospice. So, yea I did not care for that group of speakers that much. They just made me think about my aunt that had pass away five years ago. Was not in my happy mood that day.


Side information: What is Hospice care? Hospice care provides medical services, emotional support, and spiritual resources for people who are in the last stages of a terminal illness, such as cancer or heart failure. Hospice care also helps family members manage the practical details and emotional challenges of caring for a dying loved one.The goal of hospice treatment is to keep you comfortable and improve your quality of life while you are dying. This philosophy is a shift from usual medical treatments, in which health professionals strive to cure your disease. Hospice services are not intended to speed up or prolong the dying process, but focus instead on relieving pain and other symptoms. Hospice caregivers are concerned with enhancing the quality of remaining life by keeping you as alert and comfortable as possible in a familiar environment with family and friends. (for more information you can go to this website http://www.webmd.com/balance/tc/hospice-care-topic-overview)

One thing that will stick in my head that I learn from all the speakers is that Hospice does nothing to hasten the end of a person life. They goal is to make the patient comfortable and give support during their illness..