Welcome to Litsy!

“In my opinion, the people who are happiest at the end of their life are those that have achieved a sense of peace in regard to how they‘ve lived, and who are comfortable in their belief about what comes next.”
My friend lent me this book. A low pick, but it has interesting stories about hospice patients. Vlahos writes about her patients, as well as what was going on in her life, & life lessons she has learned. My issue with it—she credits 👇

I carried this book with me to WA as my backup book (I read one on the flight there). I‘m a hospice volunteer and I love hearing others‘ stories! The author shares how she became a hospice nurse, some life stories of her patients, and some of their more ‘other worldly‘ ones too. Yes, these moments happen all the time! When finished, I donated it to a little free library that was in a lovely garden in SeaTac.

Hadley is a very young palliative care nurse who does her job with a lot of compassion, kindness and concern for her patients. She shares some of the most impactful moments she witnessed and lessons on how to die and how to live from her experience with patients in their final moments

“I have cared for enough end-of-life patients with varying religious backgrounds to believe that how you live your life is more important than what you believe in.”

Vlahos' storytelling is not only emotionally compelling but also thought-provoking. She seamlessly weaves her personal reflections and insights into the narratives, inviting readers to contemplate the meaning of life, the nature of existence, and the profound impact we can have on one another...
Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5639887598

I am never one to dismiss anyone‘s NDE story, but this one felt too religious for me. The word ‘God‘ was in almost every paragraph; a bible verse began nearly every chapter. It felt too Christian. I am aware that a NDE is different for everyone though there are many similarities, and the spectrum is wide. I am an atheist, I don‘t believe in deities; but I do believe there is a part of us that doesn‘t die, when our bodies die. I imagine ‘God‘⬇️

I thought a lot of this was about how great she was and didn‘t feel real.

Compassionate and vulnerable and moving. A unique perspective, relayed respectfully. What an intelligent, resilient, caring woman this nurse/author is! Just one of the many wonderful people helping us mere mortals find comfort and hope through the last of our lives. I appreciate the glimpse into these personal and heartbreaking experiences. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is different from my usual. It‘s about a hospice nurse, and each chapter is about a different patient who she has helped as they are dying. She talks a lot about the things that happen during this time, such as dead family members appearing to the dying patient. It‘s a fascinating look at a difficult job. Being there for the family, making sure there‘s no pain, and being a source of info and comfort for family. ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Completed a fiction and nonfiction from my TBR pile this week 😃