Full Circle: A conversation about living and dying

In our modern culture, we don’t sit around a fire and repeat the tales of our ancestors. Many of us are no longer members of a nuclear family or a tight community. The effect of not belonging to such a group is that we’ve become isolated as individuals. We don’t feel related. We don’t get to know each other as well as former generations did and–social media aside–we are not known in that familiar sense. We live and die relatively unknown.

Death is the great unknown. Dying, however, can be observed and discussed and reported on. Dying can be shared and comforted. Dying can be approached with intention and awareness, the idea being to fill the process with compassion and to live as fully as possible in the meantime. Every living thing expires. While the cause of one’s death may be beyond control, how we think about dying and how we act in the face of death are up to us. We have choices. This conversation is meant to explore those choices from as many angles as possible.

Even so, you might wonder why would anyone want to talk, read, or even think about death. Until coming face-to-face with the cold fact of mortality, there often isn’t much conversation about this taboo subject. When someone’s death does disrupt our expectations of living on into the future, the meanings we give to life come into focus.

The very process of writing can cause memories to bubble up through your consciousness. Writing can bring new insights and clarity about how and why things happened the way they did and what it all means. Writing helps you to connect the dots. When you write your truth, you not only learn from the exercise, you also contribute your valuable perspective to others–which is what relatedness is all about.

The most important aspect of dying and death that you can write about is your personal story. This is an opportunity for you to describe your experiences and express your feelings. Put yourself into the conversation. We invite you to join us in Full Circle and tell us your story. Submissions can be sent to: cfdblogemail@gmail.com.

Full Circle Blog

Book Review: What’s Better Than This?

Book Review
October 21, 2019October 21, 2019

In her debut memoir, author Lorraine Salmon turns tragedy into triumph by writing about it. If this sounds like a simplistic prescriptive for grief, it… Read More »Book Review: What’s Better Than This?

The Last Time by Kathleen McKitty Harris

Personal Narrative
September 26, 2019October 17, 2020

As an older mother, I sense that my role has morphed into something like a reverse mortgage. I’ve put in nearly eighteen years of equity… Read More »The Last Time by Kathleen McKitty Harris

Crossword Puzzles

Personal Narrative
September 17, 2019October 17, 2020

Do previously deceased friends and family meet us when we die? My mother was a scientist. She was born in 1926 and grew up in… Read More »Crossword Puzzles

Three poems…

Poetry
August 28, 2019October 17, 2020

written by three friends, each contemplating their mortality. Thank you Mare, Nancy, and Austin standing on the edge peering through scrutinizing eyesbarely recognizing theenormity of… Read More »Three poems…

A More Compassionate Direction: An Interview with Dr. William Gooch

Interviews
August 10, 2019October 17, 2022

Imagine your beloved life partner is suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness. Treatments fail, and you are unprepared to face the process of their dying.… Read More »A More Compassionate Direction: An Interview with Dr. William Gooch

The Power of Bearing Witness

Death Literacy
July 29, 2019October 17, 2020

There are times in life when the highest honor, the greatest love is paid to another by simply bearing witness to his or her experience.… Read More »The Power of Bearing Witness

No Passport Needed…

Personal Narrative
February 24, 2019October 17, 2020

This is what my cousin Jim says over the phone after announcing the obscene-sounding name of his terminal diagnosis—progressive bulbar palsy (PBP)—a form of ALS… Read More »No Passport Needed…

Is this it, I wonder?

Personal Narrative
February 12, 2019October 17, 2020

Erica on Being in Hospice Care Erica Chase-Salerno was a journalist, a wife and mother of two, and an indefatigable spirit. Diagnosed with Stage IV… Read More »Is this it, I wonder?

Book Review: A Night on Buddy’s Bench

Book Review
February 4, 2019June 21, 2019

Book review… A Night on Buddy’s Bench: An End of Life Story is Ira Baumgarten’s sweet tale of grief and dying. Can such a story… Read More »Book Review: A Night on Buddy’s Bench

Writing your story…

Essay
January 21, 2019October 17, 2020

Recently, I presented a mini-talk about writing memoir at a Death Café. The event was held at an assisted living complex, so I knew that… Read More »Writing your story…