I am reading a fabulous book about death at the moment- yes I know that makes me sound a little odd! But it is so important that we talk about death particularly with our nearest and dearest. It’s called “We all know how this ends” and is written by an end-of-life Doula, Anna Lyons, and a Funeral Director, Louise Winter.

It is a really insightful read and I would urge you to read it. One page particularly resonated with me:

Understanding what “normal dying” looks like may well lessen our fears about how we are likely to die, but this grasp of it won’t ever change the fact that our dying means our end. The end of our life. It means leaving the people we love; it means missing out on all the things we hold dear. Death is a full stop. It’s permanent and there’s no coming back from it.

Nevertheless, there is an undeniable beauty in the impermanence of life and its inherent fragility. If we embrace our mortality, as all living beings must, we can begin to end our lives on our terms, with grace and dignity.

“Death Makes a Crown of Love”

Death makes a crown of love,
A mantle to take across the threshold
As a sign of accomplished living:
You are loved,
You have loved,
You have lived.”

(Gregg Gilbert )

If this is of interest please do join my Facebook group “From the Cradle to the Grave” or if you would like to discuss pre-planning your funeral please get in touch margaret.mulholland@humanistceremonies.org.uk

To paraphrase Mark Twain there are only two certainties in life “Death and Taxes”