Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying by Maggie Callanan, Patricia Kelley

Through their stories we come to appreciate the near-miraculous ways in which the dying communicate their needs, reveal their feelings, and even choreograph their own final moments; we also discover the gifts--of wisdom, faith, and love--that the dying leave for the living to share. Filled with practical advice on responding to the requests of the dying and helping them prepare emotionally and spiritually for death, Final Gifts shows how we can help the dying person live fully to the very end.

The Grief Recovery Handbook: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death Divorce, and Other Losses
by John W. James, Russell Friedman

Incomplete recovery from grief can have a lifelong negative effect on your capacity for happiness. Drawing from their own histories, as well as from others, the authors illustrate what grief is and how it is possible to recover and regain energy and spontaneity. Based on a proven program, now extensively revised, The Grief Recovery Handbook offers grievers the specific actions needed to complete the grieving process and accept loss. For those ready to regain a sense of aliveness, the principles outlined here make this a life-changing handbook.

Messages: Evidence for Life after Death

As a therapist, Dalzell had counseled people who claimed to hear voices. Now, Dalzell was hearing a voice himself, and it was that of his close friend, Michael. The voice revealed information about Michael's private life and possessions. Other phenomena followed, including apparitions of Michael, house lights that blinked on and off, alarm clocks that got moved, and rose petals left in the pattern of an angel. "Michael appeared to have brought evidence that there was a dimension beyond our five senses, and that he could keep the channels open," writes the author. In all, Michael opened the channels to seven friends, family members, and colleagues. He provided incontrovertible signs that proved it was he who was communicating with them. Further confirmation of Michael's continued existence and the legitimacy of his after-death communications was provided by independent contact with professional psychics and mediums.

In "Messages", Dalzell adds empirical confirmation to a field that is gaining popular and scientific respect. His encouraging conclusions may comfort grieving families and calm the natural inclination to fear death, with its perceived separation and loss.

With Pen in Hand: The Healing Power of Writing

In moments of grief or loss, we often turn to the written word to say what cannot be said aloud. Indeed, directing sadness, rage, or confusion at the page can be tremendously cathartic and liberating. As we express our deepest feelings without reserve in poetry or prose, we feel the power of our words begin to draw out some of the pain in our hearts and replace it with hope.

But fears about writing honestly and self-criticism can stand in the way of making use of this powerful therapeutic tool. With Pen in Hand is an inspirational and practical guide to breaking through these roadblocks and to helping one "write to heal." Outlining writing techniques that are best for working through pain and for privately collecting raw emotions--"Writing a Letter of Goodbye," "Interviewing Your Body," "Rapid-Writing," and more--Henriette Klauser shares stories and tips that will help readers gain comfort from what they commit to paper. For the accomplished writer and non-writer alike, With Pen in Hand will help one make use of the kind of expression that in the aftermath of a crisis or loss, can make one whole again.

Caregiving: The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal
by Beth Witrogen McLeod (Author)

Sooner or later it will touch us all: A family member or loved one becomes ill or disabled, and we step in to help. This is caregiving, and in this powerful, unique book, prizewinning writer and advocate Beth Witrogen McLeod leads us through the caregiving journey with unflinching authority and compassion. Framed by the author's personal odyssey as a caregiver and richly informed by the inspiring and poignant tales of others, Caregiving explores medical and financial problems, all aspects of spirituality, and such issues as depression, stress, housing, home care, and end-of-life concerns. A rare blend of powerful storytelling and practical information, Caregiving is a revelation.

Ethical Wills: Putting Your Values on Paper
by Barry K. Baines

A guide to the process of writing and sharing an ethical will, a document designed to preserve a lasting legacy of your most cherished personal values.
A comprehensive, step-by-step resource, Ethical Wills gently guides us through the process of creating what can be one of the most valuable and cherished documents we leave behind. Clarifying and communicating the meaning of our lives for those who will survive us, an ethical will helps us reflect on and share our life's experience. Those who want to be remembered authentically and for their gifts of heart, mind, and spirit will take satisfaction in knowing that what they value most is "on the record," not to be lost or forgotten. Both a practical and a spiritual tool to use at any stage of life, Ethical Wills helps readers create, preserve, and share this important document with friends and family.

Sacred Passage: How to Provide Fearless, Compassionate Care for the Dying
by Margaret, Ph.D. Coberly

Working as an emergency room nurse, Margaret Coberly came in contact with death on a daily basis. Yet it wasn't until her own brother was diagnosed with terminal cancer that she realized she understood very little about the emotional and spiritual aspects of caring for the terminally ill. To fill this gap she turned to the unique wisdom on death and dying found in Tibetan Buddhism. In this book Coberly offers sound, practical advice on meeting the essential needs of the dying, integrating stories from her long career in nursing with useful insights from the Tibetan Buddhist teachings.

In the West, death is viewed as a tragic and horrible event. Coberly shows us how this view generates fear and denial, which harm the dying by adding unnecessary loneliness, confusion, and mental anguish to the dying process. Tibetan Buddhism focuses on the nature of death and how to face it with honesty, openness, and courage. In this view, death is not a failure, but a natural part of life that, if properly understood and appreciated, can offer the dying and their loved ones an opportunity to gain valuable insight and wisdom.

Sacred Passage highlights two very practical teachings on death and dying from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and presents them in clear, non-technical language. Readers learn about the eight stages of dissolution leading to death, a detailed road map of the dying process that describes the sequence of physical, psychological, and spiritual changes that occur as we die. Coberly also presents the "death meditation," a contemplative exercise for developing a new relationship to death--and life. 

Be Not Afraid: Overcoming The Fear Of Death

Customer Review... "Death is a subject that most people try to avoid, but let's face it, no one leaves this world alive! Christoph's book Be Not Afraid is another shining example of what we need to do with our lives! It has been said that the only thing we need to fear is fear itself. Be Not Afraid brings us back to the reason we are here in the first place. This book is written in the wonderfully profound simplicity that Christoph Arnold is famous for. It is another treasured reading in my personal library."

A Garden of Love and Healing: Living Tributes to Those We Have Loved and Lost
by Marsha Olson

This book presents creative ideas for setting aside a special section of the garden to honor those who have touched our lives. Included is information on symbolic plants and flowers, planting a tree as a memorial, thematic garden accents, and informal ceremonies for dedicating your memory garden. Also included are heart-warming anecdotes from gardeners, describing the living tributes they've created in honor of their loved ones.

The Healing Sorrow Workbook: Rituals for Transforming Grief and Loss
by Peg Elliott, L.C.S.W. Mayo, Ph.D., David Feinstein, L.C.S.W., Peg Elliott Mayo, David Feinstein

Peg Elliott Mayo, a Jungian psychotherapist and social worker, posits that the goal of grief work is not merely a reduction of sadness but a recaptured ability to experience pleasure. She presents 40 exercises — including mantra chanting, journal writing, and dream decoding — that have worked for hundreds of her clients.

Miscarriage: Why it Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks--A Doctor's Guide to the Facts
by Henry Lerner, Henry, M.D. Lerner, Alice D. Domar (Contributor), Robert L. Barbieri (Introduction), Alice Domar

A comprehensive and compassionate guide to understanding miscarriage, both medically and emotionally. Whether it occurs in the first trimester or later in a pregnancy, a miscarriage is always an emotionally traumatic event, sometimes a physically daunting one, and all too often an isolating experience. Adding to the frustration and disappointment of the 800,000 women who miscarry every year, busy obstetricians often lack up-to-date or specific knowledge about the causes and consequences of this profound event. From the chromosomal, illness-related, immunological, and genetic reasons for miscarriage to the diagnostic tests and surgical procedures now available, this authoritative guide reflects the latest medical information on why miscarriages do and don't happen and the best methodologies known for recovery and preparing to conceive again. Complete with stories from women who have miscarried and reassuring input from a female doctor, After Miscarriage also provides substantive advice for coping with the anxiety and depression that often accompany the loss of pregnancy.

The Complete Bedside Companion: No-Nonsense Guide to Caring for the Seriously Ill
by Rodger McFarlane, Philip Bashe

Nursing a parent, spouse, other relative, or friend through the painful progress of a terminal disease is not a road best traveled alone. The Complete Bedside Companion offers warmth, encouragement, and the medical, legal, financial, and emotional advice you need when caring for an ailing loved one. Drawing on the experiences of dozens of ordinary people who have cared for relatives and friends ill or dying from cancer, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, diabetes, AIDS, and other serious conditions -- along with the practical wisdom of distinguished medical, legal, financial, and psychological experts -- this sound, compassionate guide provides field-tested advice on every aspect of caring for the sick including: Doing battle with insurance companies; Managing symptoms such as nausea or pain; Exploring experimental and alternative therapies; Maintaining cash flow and coping with bills.