Suze Orman Will & Trust Kit—Free

Right now, Suze Orman is providing free access to her online will and trust kit.

Go to this link and type in the password PeopleFirst.

I haven't used the service myself, so I dont' know how user-friendly it is. But I caught the last few minutes of her show the other night during which she was discussing this offer, and I thought I should pass it along.

I assume the offer is good least until her next episode airs (Saturday night). But if you're interested in checking it out, I'd make a quick move.

And if you do use the service, I'd be curious to know how it goes.

The Conscience Rule

Barbara Coombs Lee of Compassion & Choices has recently been blogging at Huffington Post about the "conscience" rule.

This law went into effect on January 19 it allows medical workers to refuse to participate in care that goes against their moral beliefs. Obviously, one of the areas this can and will affect is death with dignity. And we already know some facilities in Washington state have decided not to participate in the newly passed law.

Particularly troublesome for me would be any physicians who would refuse treatment but also would not tell patients that the option is available for them. The post by Barbara Coombs Lee says most physicians who object to a treatment would let a patient know about a treatment but some would not—no figures are given though.

Whatever side you come down on, it is an important issue that is getting lost in the midst of economic worries. Check out the blog or Google the topic—but Google "conscience rule HHS," or you won't get decent results.

Another great link from Christian Sinclair. I love this video for its simple honesty. It reminds me of this article from Scientific American that talked about consciousness after death.

Many of us ponder death in a way that assumes we will have thoughts and sensations after it happens, but when it comes, both the article and the video say, we will simply stop, and we will not have consciousness to be aware that we have stopped. Therefore, there is no reason to fear our end.

In his post on the video, Sinclair compares its tone to that of a children's book. I could not have said it better myself. There is a simple, instructive narrative. A heartwarming feel, despite the hard subject. The narrator sounds like he wants to take care of us. To walk us gently through this harsh truth.

Give it a watch. I'm curious to know what other people think. Also, nothing really happens until the 40-second mark, so if you're a techy-generation, impatient sort, you'll want to zoom ahead.

Death Cake

Man, oh man. What a way to say Happy Birthday! Christian Sinclair sent this link to me—he's been sending all kinds of great links lately. Thank you, Christian!

From the very funny blog cakewrecks.blogspot.com.

Death as a Metaphor for a Cluttered Life

Anti-Clutter Expert Peter Walsh is interviewed in the March O magazine (p 50). To point out the dramatic effect clutter and mess can have on us all, he draws our attention to the language used by his clients:

"My clients say things like 'I was buried under all that stuff,' 'I was drowning,' "I feel like I'm suffocating.' We use those metaphors because clutter robs us of life. It robs us socially, when we're too embarrassed to have people over. It robs us spiritually, because we can't be at peace in a cluttered home. And it robs us psychologically, by stealing our ability to feel motivated in our space." 

Considering how difficult it can be for us to talk about death in actuality, I think it's interesting how easy it is for us to rely upon it as a metaphor. 

What do you say when you don't know what to say?

A family I know and have been close to for years recently lost their grandfather. And there is a bit of tension in the family because a far-away grandchild (not someone I know personally, but a grandchild in another unit of the family) did not call or reach out to the family in any way after the death. Her reason: she didn't know what to say.

Now, you don't have to read much of my blog to guess what I think of that.

But I do have compassion for her position. I've been near to people in grief and not had a clue what to say to them. My operating theory has generally been to just call or stop by and stumble my way through the conversation. I guess, I figure saying something awkward is better than not saying anything at all.

I realize this is far from ideal, however. Does anyone else have better advice for what to say when someone is feeling loss and you have no idea how to express your sympathy?

Pet Euthanasia

Dethmama has a sick doggie, and will be euthanizing her later in the week. (My thoughts are with you, Dethmama). Her beautiful post about the emotional experience is here.

It prompted me to do a little research, and I found this link with suggestions for some things people should be aware of/prepared for before making an appointment for a euthanasia. For example, make sure to tell the receptionist at the vet's office that you want to see the vet when he/she is not in a hurry.

Also, Dethmama has scheduled an in-home euthanasia, so her dog can spend its last moments in the comfort of its own environment. I didn't know that was an option, but looking around online, it appears that many vets offers that service. Something to keep in mine, since many of us will sadly be faced with this decision one day.