ABC’s

Part 1 – Say YES to the Conversation In the ABC’s for living well, this four-part series for the letter “Y” explores various ways in which YES can carry multiple, nuanced messages. Let’s begin with saying YES to a conversation about the one thing that all living beings have in common: impermanence (i.e. we will … Read more

Part 2 – YES, and In the ABC’s for living well, this four-part series for the letter “Y” explores various ways in which YES can carry multiple, nuanced messages. The practice of saying YES to tackling challenges, exploring new situations, setting boundaries, and overcoming fear is commonly recommended by life coaches. It makes sense to … Read more

Part 3 – YES, but In the ABC’s for living well, this four-part series for the letter “Y” explores various ways in which YES can carry multiple, nuanced messages. The practice of saying YES to challenges, exploring new life territory, and overcoming fear is part of living a full life. Counselors and wellness coaches tend … Read more

Part 4 – YES, but maybe NO In the ABC’s for living well, this four-part series for the letter “Y” explores various ways in which YES can carry multiple, nuanced messages. Socializing, flourishing on the job, caring for children or companion animals, and contributing in other meaningful ways to friends, family, colleagues, or community are … Read more

When I started blogging the ABC’s of Living Well my intention was to share the things I have learned from walking alongside hospice patients and their caregivers. Given that I am now almost to the end of the alphabet, it seems fitting to delve into the subjects of dying and death. Mindfully crossing (conscious transitions) … Read more

Xings can happen swiftly and may be celebratory and joyful or shocking and traumatic. A Xing can happen in an instant, beginning or ending an entire era. A baby’s first breath, for example, is a joyful single moment that forever changes its life and that of its family. Another swift Xing is the moment one … Read more

Since Further Shore was founded out of my desire to provide education about supporting the dying, “X” is for Xing is the best place to address the biggest elephant in the room; everyone dies. The definition of dying is the process of bodily termination; death is the irreversible cessation of all vital bodily functions. Readers … Read more

I debated a long while about the “W” topic for the ABC’s of Living Well. My dilemma: Walking or Wisdom? Walking is something that most of us do without even thinking about it. Of course, that is unless (or until) there is pain, an injury, or some other biological limitation to walking. Medical literature praises … Read more

This one is especially close to my heart because of the community response to meeting Wayne’s needs during cancer treatment as well as his time in hospice care. There were countless volunteers helping with shopping, cleaning, meal prep, driving to appointments, and social support. These kind acts were in addition to practitioners offering pro bono … Read more

In the A,B,C’s for Living Well, understanding has many dimensions and applications. This word has a complicated and mysterious etymology that includes both Old English and Latin. Scholars cannot agree on exactly what the “under” is all about as a prefix, as the root meaning of “under” is beneath or below. Also, the “stand or … Read more