Sometimes we need a reminder of how precious life is and what it means to live a life. I had a restless night and got up early. Sat in front of the tv and watched the movie, Spoiler Alert. It brought back memories of working on Water St in the 80’s and watched as so many friends died of AIDS and the feeling of sadness, grief, loneliness and fear took hold. My friends span many different walks of life. It’s wonderful but it leaves you open to all sorts of things you never expected. Some good, some not so good. But life, well, it is interesting. Remember when you’re helping someone navigate decisions for their life and after, it is difficult to think beyond where we are. Give them grace and definitely dignity as you assist them and their loved ones. I love my Sunday morning musings. Grace & Dignity End of Life Services

Life, the universe, the Divine, God has a unique way of reminding us that we’re not alone on our journey and sometimes no matter how bad we think our lives are there are people out there they’re going through similar or worse situations. This morning I ran into a friend of mine that I worked with a VA who retired a few years ago just like I did. He had his own battle with cancer and is now a cancer survivor. I would see him walking the neighborhood with his wife on a fairly regular basis over the last couple years. I saw him this morning and stopped just to say hi and catch up with him and he told me that his wife died in January from pancreatic cancer. She was diagnosed in mid 2025 and five months later she died. She had been to three different doctors who missed the diagnosis. Finally, she went to a cardiologist who did some more extensive testing and made the diagnosis. I expressed my deepest condolences and sympathies for his loss. He said that he has been in grief counseling since she died. I told him that I thought that was a very good thing. I told him that people can be very sympathetic, but unless they’ve gone through the loss of a close love one they truly don’t understand what a person is going through. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. I know that God is great and will watch over them and guide them through this journey of grief and rebuilding their lives without their loved one. This is a reminder for us all to cherish every moment, especially the ones we have with our friends and loved ones. After I drove away I found a place to park and I had a good cry

For some odd reason I thought we had a meeting tonight...5/26... It's probably a trick of the upcoming full moon. Just wondering how everyone is doing and how they're advancing along. All is fine here... We're scheduling an end of life planning at our church with an attorney. I am going to meet with the attorney to see about collaboration. 🤗🤗🤗

Put the kettle on. 😉 You made it here, and that already tells me something important: you’re willing to look at the parts of life most people avoid—death, grief, aging, endings—and you’d rather not do that alone. 👥This space is for people who feel the tug of questions like: - What do I want to do with the time I have left? - How do I carry my grief and still live? - How do I prepare—practically and emotionally—so I don’t leave a mess behind? Here, we talk honestly about living and dying, love and loss, plans and paperwork, spirit and practicality. We make room for both the kettle (conversation, comfort, everyday life) and the candle (mortality, memory, sacredness of our limited time). 👉How this community works: You’ll see different programs and posts here—like 365 — A Year To Live and Advanced Care Planning—but underneath it all is the same heartbeat: - Tell the truth about life and death. - Learn together, not alone. - Take small, brave steps toward living and dying in alignment with your values. -  You are welcome to come exactly as you are: curious, scared, hopeful, tired, grieving, unsure, or all of the above. 🙌Introduce yourself (in a way that actually matters) When you’re ready, say hello in the comments below. You can answer any of these prompts—just what feels right: 1. What season of life are you in right now, in a few words? (Examples: “Midlife and re-evaluating everything,” “Fresh in grief,” “Caregiver mode,” “Aging and taking stock.”) 2. What quietly brought you to Kettle & Candle? A loss, a diagnosis, a birthday, a near-miss, a deep curiosity, a professional calling? 3. When you think about death, grief, or aging, what feeling shows up first? (No need to be poetic. “Terrified,” “numb,” “relieved to finally talk about it” all count.) 4. What is one hope you have for yourself in this space over the next year? (Big or small: “Get my paperwork started,” “Not feel so alone,” “Make peace with a part of my story,” etc.) 5. Is there a small comfort or ritual that helps you feel grounded lately? (Tea, walking, gardening, journaling, music, prayer, sitting in the sunshine…)