Free E-book on Death, Dying, and Afterlife

If you would like the e-book version of my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife, you can get a copy as a gift when you subscribe to my free newsletter.

If you would like a printed copy of my book, you may either purchase it on Amazon.com or get a signed copy from me for $10 plus shipping. Please use the contact form on my Web site and put your mailing address in the comment box. Also, include who you would like the book inscribed to.

Children's Story about Dealing with the Death of a Pet

The Sid Series: Puppy Love ~ Dealing with the Death of a Pet
Author: Yvonne Perry
ISBN: 9780982572207
Publisher: Write On! (2006)
Available from Amazon at http://tinyrul.com/AmazonSidSeries
Review by Donna B. Russell


How do you help a child deal with the death of a beloved pet when you, yourself, struggle to understand "why"? Yvonne Perry does so with simplicity, sensitivity, and the understanding that children need to be allowed to express their own thoughts and, in doing so, may impart a wisdom of their own.

When the family dog dies of old age, Ran-Ran, Von-Von and grandson Sid must come to terms with their grief. In an atmosphere of safety and acceptance, Von-Von wonders out loud why dogs don't live as long as humans do. Sid's surprising response, and a stray puppy, help them come to terms with their loss and open their hearts to another dog in need of love. Without euphemisms that are confusing to children, Yvonne Perry's tender story takes you through grief to healing, ending on a positive note.

Perry says, "Some people will tell you that dogs and cats don’t have souls so they can’t go to heaven, but I don’t believe that." Anyone who has lived with an animal companion, and taken the time to really understand them, would agree with her. This is one of the best books I've read on the subject of pet loss.

Puppy Love is one in a series of holistic children's books written by Yvonne (Von-Von in the book) for her grandson Sid, who is the main character. It may be written for children, but adults will enjoy it, too. I recommend it as a sensitive way to help children (and adults) deal with a very painful subject.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer, editor, award-winning speaker, and owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services in Nashville, TN. She also is host of the Writers in the Sky podcast, which include interviews, seminars, and audio workshops available through iTunes.com and other podcast directories.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You might enjoy reading the complete book, The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children.

Puppy Love --Dealing with the Death of a Pet

Story Title: The Sid Series: Puppy Love --Dealing with the Death of a Pet
Author: Yvonne Perry
ISBN: 9780982572207
Publisher: Write On! (2006)
Available from Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/AmazonSidSeries
Reviewed by Donna B. Russell

How do you help a child deal with the death of a beloved pet when you, yourself, struggle to understand "why"? Yvonne Perry does so with simplicity, sensitivity, and the understanding that children need to be allowed to express their own thoughts and, in doing so, may impart a wisdom of their own.

When the family dog dies of old age, Ran-Ran, Von-Von and grandson Sid must come to terms with their grief. In an atmosphere of safety and acceptance, Von-Von wonders out loud why dogs don't live as long as humans do. Sid's surprising response, and a stray puppy, help them come to terms with their loss and open their hearts to another dog in need of love. Without euphemisms that are confusing to children, Yvonne Perry's tender story takes you through grief to healing, ending on a positive note.

Perry says, "Some people will tell you that dogs and cats don’t have souls so they can’t go to heaven, but I don’t believe that." Anyone who has lived with an animal companion, and taken the time to really understand them, would agree with her. This is one of the best books I've read on the subject of pet loss.

Puppy Love is one in a series of holistic children's books written by Yvonne (Von-Von in the book) for her grandson Sid, who is the main character. It may be written for children, but adults will enjoy it, too. I recommend it as a sensitive way to help children (and adults) deal with a very painful subject.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer, editor, award-winning speaker, and owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services in Nashville, TN. She is also host of Writers in the Sky Podcast, which include interviews, seminars, and audio workshops available through iTunes.com and other podcast directories.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Spirituality and Music In Palliative Care

Unlike hospice care which entails providing services to the terminally ill patients whose physicians have declared that they have only six months to live, palliative care does not postpone nor speed up death, it helps relieve pain and symptoms by offering support which the client needs to live actively and functionally.

Part 1 - Spirituality and Music in Palliative care.

Palliative care may also involve other professional disciplines to ensure that the patient receives all the necessary services. In this article, I will review and explore the perceptions of nurses and patients on spirituality and music in palliative care.

Spirituality and Palliative Care.

Spirituality in general has been shown to contribute to patients' comfort at the end of life and has been identified as one of the key concerns of dying patients who need support. Spirituality does not necessarily mean that one's beliefs are religious based, it is therefore unique in everyone and may be explored and assessed in one's own values, beliefs, relationships, attitudes, practices, their hopes, fears, meaning and purpose in life as reported by Kernoham, Waldron, McAfee, Cochrane, & Hasson (2007).

Read more here.. http://tinyurl.com/yeenfrg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Recommended Blog on Suicide

I found a blog in which a mother is communicating with her son from the Other Side. He committed suicide and is giving her some very comforting messages. I thought those who read my blog might also enjoy this one: http://www.drmedhus.com/channelingerik/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading my book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

How to Deal With a Death of a Pet With Children

The death of a pet can be very sad. It's made more difficult with young children because they have a hard time understanding death. Explaining it can be tough. If you tell your five-year-old their cat has passed on they might be clueless as to what "passed on" means. "Lucky, passed on where, Mom? Did she go across the street?" Even if you use the word death, young children have a hard time grasping how long death is. If you explain to your child that death means a long period of time you still might get, "Does that mean Spot will come back in three weeks?" Three weeks is a long time to a five-year-old. At age six I still couldn't understand how long summer was. My older brother showed me a calendar and flipped up three pages saying that's how long it was. That helped. Some. At least I knew it was for a long time. You actually have to tell your child their beloved pet will not be coming back. You can't pussy foot around death. Death is final. You do not want your child to think an animal is coming back if it's not. Please do not tell your child that Pickles went to live on a big farm in Idaho if Pickles died. This is a lie and serves no purpose. And your lie can be exposed. However, if your family's belief system is that there is an afterlife you can tell your child you believe Fluffy is in Heaven. This is a belief. It differs from "Pickles went to live in Idaho." This statement is a lie because you're purposely being deceptive. It's a deliberate falsehood. You know Pickles did not go there.

Children grieve in different ways. One of your children might sob, another could pester you with questions, and your last child might get real quiet and refuse to talk. Each child has their own personality. And because of that each had a different relationship with the deceased pet. Moreover, one child could have been closer to the family pet than another. Did the pet sleep in bed with them? It won't anymore. And that's sad. Be kind. Don't brush away your child's feeling and tell them to buck up. If you offer to take them for ice cream to cheer them up, do NOT renege on it if they say no. They might be feeling so heartsick they can't eat right now. Take your child in a week.

The death of a family dog can be very upsetting to a child. Especially if it was an indoor dog. House dogs interact with the family more. Therefore, children will get more attached to them. So be there for your child. Have a shoulder for them to cry on. Let them know it is okay to grieve. Even if you as a parent weren't particularly close to the family pet be empathetic. Give extra hugs. Ask your child if they would like to create a photo album of Shaggy. Write near each picture the occasion, what's happening, and with whom. On the last page you can attach a note with something like, "We love you Shaggy! Thanks for being our dog and loving us. You were much appreciated." Or "Shaggy, you'll be missed. You'll be in our hearts always." Or your child can write a personal letter to their dog and sign their name. They can put the letter in a picture pocket of the album to be shared years later. Remember dogs give unconditional love. They love you whether you're rich, poor, short, tall, dress well, or are unkempt. There is maybe one string attached to their love, which is "be kind to me." Unlike humans they don't have worldly "expectations" of how you should be. They love you just as you are. And older children know this. Their dog loved them just as they were. If your child had a particular hard day and was naughty, and you punished them, Shaggy was still a ready friend. He was ready to give a consoling lick on the face. On the worst of days a child really needs a cuddle. Shaggy was there to be hugged close and to listen to grievances against you. He didn't judge. He just loved.

Some children like to have a small memorial service for their pet. I've been to many pet services in backyards. Fish. Hamster. Rat. Turtle. Lizard. Depending on where you live, bigger pets, such as dogs or cats, have to be buried in a pet cemetery or be taken to a place to be cremated. You should check. You can still have a small memorial service. The memorial can be just sharing good memories. "Remember how Rover would lay down low and sneak over to the counter and steal pizza?" Then it was a pain, now it's a funny memory. Maybe one child will draw a picture of good times with Rover. Another child might read a poem they wrote. A memorial service provides closure. Which is important. That's why saying your pet went to live in Idaho when he didn't is wrong. There is no closure.

In The Sid Series story titled “Puppy Love ~ Dealing With the Death of a Pet,” I wrote about pet death. If you have a child who needs comfort after losing a pet, please let them read this story. Here’s a summary:

Scrap had been the family’s dog for many years before Sidney was born. One morning she didn’t come when she was called to breakfast. Learn how Sidney and Von-Von deal with the death of the family pet and the arrival of a new one. This story alludes to reincarnation and teaches children to cope with the death of a pet.

And here is a link to purchase the story as an e-book or the printed book on Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/AmazonSidSeries

Jay Marie has a B.A. in the Behavioral Sciences, Sociology. She is a Former Nanny to children with parents in the Entertainment Industry. Find parenting programs to help you and your child at Harmony in the Home. To find more parenting articles and to get useful tips, family movie reviews, children's book reviews, and family activities/child art projects follow my BLOG parentingtipsandmore.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Hospice & Palliative Care - Where's the Common Ground?

Receiving "The News"


A person faced with a new diagnosis that is life-limiting is generally overwhelmed. Everything has changed, and nothing will ever be the same. All of the grief stages can come into play: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and ultimately, acceptance. The person might wonder, Why me? Why now? Can I beat this? The situation can become overwhelming when coupled with confusing medical jargon about palliative care and hospice care. Let's start by clarifying the care options that are available.

Palliative care for life-limiting disease naturally follows curative treatments. Treatments can include chemotherapy, radiation, blood transfusions, dialysis, physical therapy and more. The goal is to achieve the highest quality of life for the patient while trying to control or eradiate the disease process. This is a time for hope and challenge for the patient and family. It is generally only when all treatment options fail or have been exhausted that the physician may suggest comfort care, which is also known as hospice care.

Similarities & Differences

Hospice care and palliative care both provide compassionate care for patients facing life-threatening illnesses. Both share a team-oriented approach to medical care: pain management, symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support that are patient-specific. Both share a common core belief as well: that every patient deserves the very best care possible, and that each of us has the right to die with dignity and respect, pain-free. In fact, the word palliate refers to giving comfort (but not cure). The differences between the two disciplines are subtle. While all hospice care is palliative or comfort care, not all palliative care is considered hospice care.

Confused?

Let's look at it another way. The focus of hospice is on caring, when curing is no longer an option. To be eligible for hospice care, two physicians (the primary physician and the hospice physician) must certify the patient's prognosis to be six months or less, should the disease run its natural course. The hospice philosophy embraces death as a natural part of life, and encourages a patient's desire for dignity, respect, and autonomy over his or her own care. Aggressive symptom management and pain control support this philosophy.

Most hospice care is provided in the patient's own home. Some care is also provided in nursing homes, residential care facilities and hospice facilities. Services are provided regardless of religion, race, age or illness. The patient care goals are centered on quality of life as opposed to quantity of life. Hospice care is covered under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, Medicaid, most private insurance plans, HMOs, and other managed care plans. All charges related to the terminal diagnosis, such as medications, durable medical equipment (e.g., a hospital bed), and nursing and supportive services, are paid by the benefit. Hospice care, therefore, is both a philosophy and a method of health care financing for terminally ill patients and families.

Palliative care is very similar to hospice care, but with a broader population. It is not time-restricted-indeed, it can last for years-and no specific therapy is excluded if it can improve the patient's quality of life. Palliative care helps meet the needs of patients and families who are not yet eligible for hospice services as well as those who still want to pursue more aggressive treatments not covered under the hospice reimbursement system. Payment for palliative services is generally paid by the patient's insurance, Medicare or Medicaid (but not under the hospice benefit). Goals of care focus on improving quality of life and helping support patients and families during and after these treatments. Whereas palliative care is appropriate from terminal diagnosis on, when prognosis is uncertain, hospice care focuses on supporting patients with a life expectancy of months, not years. From that standpoint, palliative care should naturally follow curative care, and then evolve into hospice care as the disease process progresses.

Looking to the Future

The hospice benefit is written for comfort care only, and is intended for patients with terminal illnesses who have exhausted all curative and therapeutic treatments. In that sense, it can be abrupt and frightening, and generally results in very late hospice referrals from physicians. The challenge for hospices is to find a way to transition from one discipline to another.

Patients should have a safe place to explore care options while still receiving palliative treatments-without pressure to enroll in the hospice program later on. This is an important step in patient continuity of care, and one that warrants further attention.

Currently, hospice and palliative care are separate disciplines. Helping patients and families deal with terminal diagnoses and navigating the various palliative therapies available is the goal of both. Finding a way to blend the two would help alleviate the confusion many patients and families experience and help motivate physicians to discuss end-of-life care options earlier in the disease trajectory.

Please visit the Gilbert Guide for the very best in Hospice and for more information about Palliative Care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Spirit Guides - How to Connect and Communicate With Them

What are Spirit Guides?

Many people believe that everyone has a Spirit Guide (or Guides) - entities that come from the Spirit world, who you can contact and communicate with, and who are ready and willing to help and assist you as you walk the Earth.

They are believed to be loved ones who have passed, ancient ancestral spirits, or even spirits from the Angelic Realm, and are assigned at birth to protect and support us.

Your Spirit Guides have learned many lessons and may well have also crossed your path on Earth in past lives. They know you very well, your strengths and weaknesses, and your abilities and your hopes and fears - and they know your destiny.
Your Spirit Guides are always willing to help and support you, but will not interfere in your life without a specific invitation.

Connecting with your Spirit Guides

Simple meditation is recognised as the best way to contact your personal Spirit Guides. Meditation is simply the process of calming your thoughts, slowing down, and focusing on a particular outcome or particular thing.

Spending fifteen minutes a day stilling your mind will be beneficial not only for contacting your personal Spirit Guides, but it will help you relax and enable you to reach some inner peace and calm that most of us have forgotten.

Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Try to make it a special place and a special time in your day. To create a pleasing ambience, pull the shades or dim the lights, play some soft music, light candles and incense sticks.

To help increase awareness of your personal Spirit Guides and shift attention away from the Earthly Plane, we will create a special place in your mind where you can meet them.

Relax in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Every time you exhale, feel the stresses and worries of the day leave your body with every breath. Notice the sinking feeling when you breath out, and use this as a vehicle to allow you to let go and relax even more.

Continue reading here.. http://tinyurl.com/yewzbao

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Children Who Talk to Angels

In the story, “A Ghost In My Closet ~ Communicating With Angels,” Sidney encounters what he thinks is a ghost in his closet. Von-Von affirms the presence of angels in Sid's life and teaches him how to interact with his divine helpers and spirit guides without being afraid. This story helps children with intuition or those who see in the spirit to accept this mystical gift. The Sid series is written as much for parents as for children because many times parents do not know how to deal with children who are spiritually gifted.

Read more about this phenomena at http://tinyurl.com/y9zovwr
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

A Grieving Child - How To Help Children Of All Ages Through Bereavement

Grieving infants: many people think that because infants are too young to speak or understand complex ideas, they are too young to grieve. That's not true, according to grief experts. Infants may not be able to articulate it, but they feel the changes that come when someone dies. Their schedule may suddenly change, they miss the smell of that person, and their parents may act differently, not playing as much or being quieter.

This confusing time may result in changes to their behavior. You may notice differences in their eating, sleeping or bowel movements. You might find it harder to soothe your baby or get the child to laugh at play time. He or she may be less receptive to strangers and change.

What to do:


Keep the baby's schedule as normal as possible.

Try to keep the baby at home as much as possible, with the same people he or she is used to.

Make every effort to soothe the baby with some extra cuddle time and calming words.

Two to six years old: death can be a confusing blow to the otherwise sheltered life of a young child. Parents who have previously tried so hard to protect them from life's tragedies suddenly have to explain them.

Young children generally struggle to comprehend three concepts surrounding death:

The first is the "non-functionality" of the body. Sometimes children can liken death to sickness. They think the person might be sleeping. They don't understand that the body that held the spirit of the person they loved is now lifeless.

Secondly, they can struggle to realize death's finality. No matter how many times cartoon characters get bonked on the head or run over, they always come back. Why can't their loved one do the same?

Lastly, children have yet to learn that everyone dies. They might believe that death can be avoided. They may return to the habits of a baby, revisiting behavior such as bedwetting, clinging and whining.

At this stage in life, children can take statements literally, so be careful with how you euphemize the situation. They can also be very self-centered about their thoughts, thinking that they may have affected the situation.

What to do:

Be honest.

Explain the difference between "very, very sick" and just "sick," as well as "very, very old" and just over 20, so that the child doesn't think everyone will die from circumstances that sound similar to how their loved one died.

Use concrete words such as "dead" and "died" to give the child a clear idea of what happened.

Explain clearly what death is and explain the feelings that go along with it. Tell the child it's OK to be mad and sad, but that eventually it will get better.

Give him or her permission to cry when they need to (even for boys) and also play when they want to.

Make sure your child knows he or she did not cause the death in any way.

Involve them as much as possible in the funeral planning.

Let the child know that you'll be there at the funeral, and also to support him or her in the months ahead.

Six to nine years old: at this point in life, children can understand the finality of death, but they don't understand their vulnerability to it. For that reason, they may be especially shocked if a peer dies. Children in this age group often think of death as something alive, a spirit or personification, such as the Grim Reaper.


Some think of death as contagious. Other children may tease or ignore a bereaved child at school, thinking that they can catch the death bug if they get too close. These children are at an age where they are very curious about the details of death. They're learning how bodies work, and they may want to know exactly how the person died and what will happen to the body.

It's best to be honest, yet reserved with the details. If you don't answer questions, they may get information from their friends, or may just imagine what they think happens, both of which can be inaccurate and more frightening than the real thing.

Make sure you explain death before going into other aspects, such as cremation or burial. They need to know that the body is no longer their loved one as they know it.

Lastly, it's OK to say you don't know something. Help your child find the answers they need.

What you can do:

Ask the child what he or she knows about death, and correct any misconceptions.

Be honest and use clear words such as dead and died.

Ask about the child's fears and discuss them. Tell him or her it's OK to be angry.

Explain the feelings that may come after a death.

Put in some extra cuddle and hug time.

Tell the child you love him or her and you're still a family.

Involve the child in funeral planning.

Understand they may turn death into a play game, such as burying their dolls.

Ten to thirteen years old: these kids are going out on their own, relying more and more on their friends and trying to fit in. Grieving can make them feel different and alone.

Tweens are also working out the right and wrong of life, and they may think they somehow caused the death by thinking ill of the person who died at one point.

At this stage in life, pre-teens understand the facts about death; they're more interested in the abstract ideas behind the "why." They may be wondering about the myths they've heard about death. Is there really a heaven? Could I die soon? Who decides who dies?

They're most likely to reach out to adults of their own gender. In their journey to becoming adult, they might try to emulate the characteristics of their gender. Rather than risk being called a sissy, boys may hold in their emotions to try to be a man. Girls may try to take care of everyone around them, perhaps at the risk of neglecting their own needs.

Even though they might spend time with their friends, it's still the advice and example of their parents that influences them the most.

What you can do:

Explain the death in a detailed way to ease their curiosity and their fears.

Explain the feelings that might come from their grief.

Provide a journal to help them write and make sense of their feelings. Encourage them to write letters to the person who died and record their memories.

Involve them as much as possible.

Talk to the parents of the child's friends. Make sure they discuss the loss with their children, and give them advice on how to support a grieving friend.

Visit http://www.thelightbeyond.com/ : helping you through bereavement, one step at a time...
Created by Lucie Storrs, The Light Beyond bereavement site, forum, inspirational movie and blog aims to help as many people as possible on their journey through grief.  Would you like our free Bereavement For Beginners ebook? Our gift to you, this practical, useful guide for the bereaved and those who care about them is packed full of information, inspiration, poems and words of comfort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Palliative Care Services

My grandmother is in palliative care and is doing quite well. A nurse comes to her house once per week, her doctor makes house calls and visits her once every six weeks. She also has a sitter who comes in and talks with her and keeps her company while my mom gets out for a few hours each week. Mom also has a social worker that she can talk to when she needs advice. Then, there’s the chaplain who comes to pray with Nanny, and the dear lady who comes by and gives her a bath three times per week. She even had three weeks of physical therapy that has helped her tremendously in becoming able to do some simple selfcare. We did not know this type of care was available, much less that insurance covers it. Here is an article that tells more about this service.

Palliative care is specialised health care of dying people which aims to maximise quality of life and assist families and carers during progressive illness and continues after death.

Palliative care, also called comfort care, focusses not on death, but on compassionate specialized care for the living. Complete palliative care programs also address mental health and spiritual needs. The focus is to make the person feel in control of their treatment and their quality of life. Palliative care involves family and friends, who also need to be prepared for the death of someone they love. When people enter a hospice or begin palliative care, their loved ones may begin to experience increased feelings of grief and bereavement. These feelings may intensify as people put final affairs in order, which may include funeral and memorial planning. Other issues that need to be considered are power of attorney arrangements, and the right to die, including voluntary euthanasia.

Read more here.. http://tinyurl.com/ybpxd8k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

An Extraordinary Angelic Visitation

I began writing The Sid Series as I spent time with my grandson when he was very small. It was mainly for me to remember some of the cute things he said, but he was also manifesting a strong spiritual intellect. I soon found myself learning some profound spiritual lessons from this little boy who called himself an “old soul.”

I wanted to do everything I could to help Sid develop his spiritual gifts, which were similar to the mystical gifts that I had been endowed with. Unfortunately, my gifts had been unappreciated by religious communities with which I had been involved. One of those gifts is the ability to see, hear, smell, and sense when there is an angel or spirit visitor in the room with me. Sid also showed this gift. The Sid Series gives examples of how these gifted youngsters experience the supernatural in their everyday lives.

This week, I found an article about an extraordinary angelic visitation and I’d like to share it with you.(By the way, it is indeed possible for an angel to incarnate into a human body. There are references of this in the Bible and I've read other information supporting this occurrence.~ Yvonne)

I believe that our beloved creator, Great Spirit/All That Is/God has many messengers and some of them are angels. We've all read or heard stories of angelic visitations and been inspired by them. Have you ever wondered if angels can and do make contact with people in the modern era of the 21st century? Have you had any personal angelic experiences or known anybody who has? My first introduction to angels was from my grandmother, Mamaw, we called her. When we'd spend the night she would always tuck us in bed and sing that song "All night. All day. Angels watching over me, my Lord."

Her eyes had such a twinkling glow in them that sometimes I wondered if she might even be an earth angel, if such were possible. She did not have a mean bone or streak about her whatsoever. She had a fine sense of humor and she never gossiped. She always managed to find the positive side of whatever experiences life tossed her way. Mamaw was a great believer and lover of angels. She had angel pictures and paraphernalia all over her house and every time I visited I would do my little tour and greet each angel.

Read more here.. http://tinyurl.com/y9qsxjr

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Palliative Care - Helping You Care For Your Terminally Ill Loved One

When my grandmother was placed in palliative care, I thought it meant that the doctors were giving up hope for her ever being able to recover. It’s not like that at all. In fact, she gets better care and more services now that she is in palliative care than she did when she was not. She no longer has to try to travel to the doctor—he comes to her. By the way, I think making the sick travel to the healer is quite backwards. The well/healers should come to the sick. No wonder everyone is sick. We gather them in a waiting room to share germs with one another while waiting for their turn to see the physician.
Back to the matter at hand. Nanny would have been bedridden if not for the hoist (like a car engine hoist) used to lift her lift her from her bed to her chair. Within the past month, she has begun to transfer from bed to wheelchair using a sliding board (see photo). When I visited her this past weekend, she stood on both feet for 42 seconds, and was able to stand from her bed using the walker and take three steps forward and then back to the side of the bed (see photo). She has set a goal for herself to be able to get from the bed to the wheel chair without the hoist or the sliding board by the end of this month. Physical therapy and palliative care have made all the difference for her, but without my mom’s consistent and firm urging Nanny to exercise her limbs for the past year while laying in bed, she might never have made this kind of progress. My mom is a saint. She is one of the strongest women I know of anywhere. And I see that same strength, willpower, and determination in my grandmother and my daughter.

I found the following article written by Lorraine Kember and hope it will be a blessing to you.

Ask most people what they know about palliative care and they will inevitably reply that it is intended for those who are dying. Undeniably, palliative care is available to support families at this sad time, however their services are equally intended to provide physical, emotional and spiritual support to the patient and their families as they journey through terminal illness.

It is important to bear in mind, that despite a terminal diagnosis, there is still life, and survival may range from months to several years. Quality of life, for the entirety of terminal illness is paramount. Palliative Care teams and the services they provide are there to help you care for your terminally ill loved one and to provide for them, the best quality of life attainable.

It is unfortunate that due to a misconception that Palliative Care is intended only for the very end of life, many do not embrace their services until the final stages of terminal disease and as a result, quality of life which could have been attained for the entirety of the illness is never realized.

Chronic untreated pain is debilitating, it dramatically affects a patient’s ability to participate in daily routines and in some cases takes away their will to live. Tragically, many people are suffering chronic pain unnecessarily. Pain management specialists attached to palliative care teams have vast knowledge regarding cancer pain and of medications available to control it. Once pain is brought under control, quality of life will be vastly improved.

Caring for a terminally ill loved one is a catastrophic experience; palliative care members understand this and there are counselors available to help you cope with your anticipatory grief. Likewise, chaplains are there to support you with prayer.

I cannot praise highly enough the services of palliative care, the team, who worked with me during my husband’s terminal illness, have my eternal gratitude. Through their dedication and the pain management specialist’s knowledge, my husband’s pain was controlled and the quality of his life improved dramatically. The silver chain nurses attached to the team visited us regularly and I looked forward to speaking with them and voicing any concerns I had in regard to my husband’s care. They never intruded on our privacy but were always just a phone call away if I needed them.

I urge you to embrace palliative care soon after diagnosis so that your terminally ill loved one and you may reap the benefits afforded by this wonderful group of caring individuals.

Article written by: Lorraine Kember – Author of “Lean on Me” Cancer through a Carer’s Eyes. Lorraine’s book is written from her experience of caring for her dying husband in the hope of helping others. It includes insight and discussion on: Anticipatory Grief, Understanding and identifying pain, Pain Management and Symptom Control, Chemotherapy, Palliative Care, Quality of Life and Dying at home. It also features excerpts and poems from her personal diary. Highly recommended by the Cancer Council. “Lean on Me” is not available in bookstores - For detailed information, Doctor’s recommendations, Reviews, Book Excerpts and Ordering Facility - visit her website http://www.cancerthroughacarerseyes.jkwh.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

I Dreamed a Dream and Interacted with My Guides

A friend, Marion, emailed me this morning to say that her sister, Sue, died last night. As I said a prayer for Marion and her sister, I strongly sensed Sue's spirit around me. She tried to apologize to me for something she had said years ago, but I told her there was no need to apologize because I had already forgiven her. I immediately felt a flood of loving, peaceful energy pour over me like warm water. I couldn’t help but cry—not tears of sorrow but of joy because Sue was out of her suffering, limited body and ready for new opportunities in the afterlife.

It’s so beautiful to deal with beings on a spiritual level. After years of not understanding why souls and entities came to me, and trying to do spiritual warfare (as I was taught in church) to keep them away, I now know I am called to this work of interaction with spirits who have left their earth suits.

Since listening to Amethyst Wyldfyre’s teleclass "Clear Your Energy & Electrify Your Business," I sense an energetic movement taking me to a higher level of spiritual effectiveness in my business dealings and personal relationships. My goal is to meditate for one hour per every night for seven nights and see what shifts as a result. It's already showing positive outcome. I had a dream last night that was a direct result of the spiritual clearing journey Amethyst took us on during the teleclass. In the dream, I was interacting with my guides and people from my life a long time ago. We were doing some serious housecleaning and deciding what to keep and what to toss.

Click the link to download the free recording of Amethyst Wyldfyre’s teleclass http://budurl.com/Electrify. I loved it and think you will, too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Bad Time, Sad Time

by Jan Bossing

Hey ole buddy
It’s been awhile
Gimme a hug
Gimme a smile
Uh-oh, your eyes
What’s up with you
Now tell it all
And tell it true

Your Daddy’s sick
Your Mama’s sad
Pain in your eyes
It must be bad

Don’t wait – go now
They need you there
Cry some, laugh some
Share some prayers

Nothing can help
Do what you can
Listen to him
Just hold his hand

He’ll tell some tales
You’ll share some laughs
Look at scrap books
And time will pass

Can’t stay too long
Just hold them tight
You’ll go back soon
It’s not good-bye

So dear old friend
I’m sad for you
Please let me know
What I can do

Jan Bossing© 2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Does Your Child Have An Imaginary Friend?

If your child interacts with an invisible playmate, he or she is not alone or crazy. By the age of seven more than 60 percent of children have had at least one imaginary friend. Although not seen by grownups, the friend may be personified in a doll or stuffed animal. Some of these friends may reside constantly with your child while others simply drop by once in a while for a visit.

Sometimes an imaginary friend gets blamed for things that the child did. For example, my son’s imaginary friend named Peter got blamed for not picking up his wet towel and swimsuit after a visit to my mom’s pool one summer. It was actually my son who didn’t pick up his towel and swimsuit. Peter somehow missed getting in our car when we left Mom’s that day. I must have said something to discourage my son because when I refused to go back and pick up Peter, my son never mentioned his friend again. If I had it to do over, I would have turned around and drove back to Mom’s to get my son’s friend. When he was about five years old, my son’s son, Sidney, had sword battles with a group of playmates he called the Onks.

Is the invisible playmate contrived in the child’s mind or is having an imaginary friend a trait of a child who is interacting with the spirit realm? I’m inclined to believe that it is a sign that the child is in touch with his or her inner guidance.

When I was a child I had a little yellow duck. My duck sat next to me at the table, took rides on my bike, listened to all my secrets, and went everywhere I went. I left the duck in my grandmother’s lap when I was about five or six years old. I forgot about him until I was 40 years old. When I was going through a very difficult time in 1999, I dreamed of my little yellow duck. In the dream, my duck asked me if he could come back and I said yes. The next time I saw my grandmother I asked her if she still had my duck. I expected that she might have completely forgotten about him, but to my surprise she said, “Yes, I still have him. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to get him.” I thought she was just playing along with me as she pretended to transfer him to me, but things in my life changed after that incident. I found that the voice of my internal guidance was turned up a notch. I began hearing wise and logical advice in my head that led me to make decisions that were remarkably healing for me. Looking back on my imaginary friend, I now realize that my yellow duck was one of my spirit guides.

Some children speak in an unknown language with their imaginary friends. My step-granddaughter had an Asian-sounding language that she used before she learned to speak English. She called me Ho-Ho, and while I wasn’t sure whether she was equating me with Santa, I sensed that she and I had been together in a past life in which we shared this language.

If your child has an imaginary friend, there is no reason to be upset. Whether or not your child’s playmate is a spirit guide, it is a natural and positive experience for your child to enjoy these invisible friendships. They give a child confidence when in a frightening or unfamiliar situation, such as the first day of kindergarten. As Sidney demonstrates in “You Can Be” and “A Powerful Potion” (stories in The Sid Series), children try out different roles of authority with their imaginary friend and may become the teacher, mother, father, doctor, or zoo keeper!

It’s fun to observe a child interacting with an imaginary friend. Listen to their conversations. They may be telling you something about themselves or working out a problem or stressful situation. Always encourage your child’s developing imagination and never discount the possibility that your child may be receiving inner guidance that will serve him well all his life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Children Have Much to Teach Us About Past Lives

Does your child talk about when she used to be someone else? Listen to her. Write it down. She could be talking about a past life. Children are a lot more aware of the spirit realm than most adults realize. When a soul comes into a body, it brings with it cellular and/or conscious memory of where it was before coming to earth.

Without prompting, many children as young as two years of age remember and speak of their past lives. Some describe details, people, and events of that life that they had no way of learning in this life. The Sun Newspapers in Sri Lanka has a short documentary on YouTube (http://ow.ly/y4z2) about a young girl who remembered living and dying in a village not more than six miles from her current home and life. When taken to the village, she instantly recognized her home, called the names of her siblings, and went directly to the cabinet where her toys were stored in the past life. Fortunately, both sets of her parents accepted this phenomenon and she is allowed to spend time in both homes.

ABC News shares a story about a boy named James Leininger who recalled details of his past life as a World War II Navy pilot who was shot down and killed over the Pacific. James had terrible nightmares about a plane crash; and he knew details about airplanes and a pilot named James Huston Jr. that he couldn't have known at such a young age. Once his parents researched and found evidence supporting the boy’s claim, they believed that he was the reincarnation of James Huston, Jr. and his nightmares stopped. http://ow.ly/y4zY

Some parents either don't notice what their child is saying or don’t believe it's possible that the child is remembering a past life. They may discount the experience and think the child is making it all up. If your child wants to tell you who they were or how they died in a past life, please listen. Children have much to teach us, and these experienced souls have come to us for a reason. Not only are past life experiences real, they affect us in our present journey. Having knowledge of your past life may explain some behaviors, habits, or health challenges we encounter in this life.

Reincarnation was once an accepted belief, but thanks to the Second Council of Constantinople in A.D. 553, many people were led to believe that humans only have one life or one chance to get it right in order to avoid eternal damnation of the soul. Even today, according to Dr. J. Chiappalone’s book Keys to Reality, more than 60 percent of the world's population still believes in reincarnation. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, only 20 percent of Americans believe in reincarnation.

While The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children does not directly mention reincarnation, it does allude to it in “Puppy Love ~ Dealing with the Death of a Pet.” As a child, I had no one to help me understand some of the paranormal things I experienced. Naturally, I feel it is very important to give parents and grandparents a comfortable starting point for discussion on topics that aren’t easily explained to children. Reading my book to a child is probably going to spark some questions from your little ones, but it the stories are written to reassure children that it’s okay to talk about spiritual things. I invite you to take a look inside the book at http://thesidseries.com/

Additional reading

http://www.childpastlives.org/
http://paranormal.about.com/cs/reincarnation/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Dealing with the Death of a Pet

I’m Yvonne Perry and I’m the author of The Sid Series. The main character in my book is my grandson, who is now eight years old. His name is Sidney. In real life, he lives in the country. When his family first moved there, the house didn’t have a fence around it. He has owned several dogs and cats—all shapes and sizes, but it seemed like every time he got close to one of his pets, they would run away or die. Sid’s yard now has a fence so Queen and Lucy will stay home where it is safe.

I remember my first dog. Her name was Snooks and she was a German shepherd. I loved it when she had a litter of puppies! I hated it when she died of heartworms. I was about twelve years old. That wasn’t my first encounter with death, but it was the first time I had lost a pet and I was pretty upset because I couldn’t see her or play with her anymore.

I wrote the stories in The Sid Series book to help kids find answers to some things they may have questions about. For example, it’s hard to understand death. It makes us feel sad when someone we love dies. Some adults say it means that you just don’t exist anymore. Others say being dead means the body can’t do anything, so the spirit leaves the body and goes to a wonderful place called heaven. Some people will tell you that dogs and cats don’t have souls so they can’t go to heaven, but I don’t believe that. I believe in a place known as the afterlife. It’s just like the place you existed before you came alive in the body you have now. Most of us don’t remember where we were before we were born, but I call it the Rainbow World. It must be a good place since none of us have bad memories of it.

Scrap is the family dog in my story titled “Puppy Love.” Scrap is old and she’s had a good life, but it’s time for her to go to the Rainbow World. One morning, her family finds her in her favorite sleeping spot, but she’s not moving; she can’t get up and she can’t bark or chase the tractor like she used to. That’s because she is dead. The family is sad and everyone cries. They wrap her in her favorite blanket, dig a big hole in the ground, and put her body in it. It’s like planting a flower or seed, but Scrap’s body is not going to grow like a flower or seed in the spring. The family has a memorial service and talks about Scrap’s death. It’s good to talk about things that you are afraid of or don’t understand. That way, you get more information to help you decide what you want to believe.

You will get some ideas to help you create your own understanding about afterlife or the Rainbow World when you read my story. Don’t worry, it has a happy ending. If you want to read it, let Barbara or Frankie know and she will email a link to you or your parent. You may read more about each of the stories on my Web site: http://TheSidSeries.com.

I have learned a lot from children. So, I’d like to ask you some questions. You can answer them by leaving a comment below.

What does it mean to be dead?

Where do you think Scrap’s soul went when she died?

What do you think happened to Scrap’s body when she was buried in the ground?

Have you ever seen a person or an animal that is dead?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Puppy Love ~ Dealing with the Death of a Pet

As part of my virtual book tour for The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children, I am presenting to the readers of this blog a flip book version of "Puppy Love ~ Dealing with the Death of a Pet." This is one of the twelve stories in my newly released book to help parents and teachers understand children who demonstrate psychic abilities and spiritual intellect).

Scrap had been the family’s dog for many years before Sidney was born. One morning she didn’t come when she was called to breakfast. Learn how Sidney and Von-Von deal with the death of the family pet and the arrival of a new one.

Out of the Mouths of Babies! Channeling 101

I’m the paternal grandmother of a psychic child named Sidney, who is now eight years old. When Sidney was a baby he used to stay with me on the weekends and we did all kinds of fun things together. I began to write about our adventures and the next thing I knew, I had a collection of stories. I’ve compiled them into one full-color print book and titled it The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children.

Why do I call them holistic stories? Because they support children in the development of body, mind, and spirit. In the 12 stories of The Sid Series your child will:

• learn about inner guidance through a garden visit with the fairies
• face the fear of storms in a kayak on the Banana River
• help a pirate find the real hidden treasure
• find a ghost in Sid’s closet
• use magic to heal a hurt puppy
• deal with the death of a pet

I was spending time with Sidney one day when he was about nine months old. All day long he kept repeating, “Hannah, Hannah, Hannah.”

It felt like he was trying to give me a message, but I thought, “He’s too young to be talking, much less channeling.”

He kept on saying Hannah’s name so I finally called his mom, Amanda, and asked what she thought of it. She was amazed because her friend’s daughter was named Hannah. She and Hannah’s mom gave birth within a few weeks of one another but they lost touch a few months after. The last Amanda knew about her friend was that she had a drug problem. Amanda and I said a prayer of protection for Hannah over the phone. Amazingly, Sidney stopped repeating the child’s name.

The next week Amanda received a call from someone who was still in touch with Hannah’s family. Hannah’s grandmother had taken custody of her because the child's mother had been neglecting her. Possibly our prayers provided support for that outcome.

Sidney continued to show signs of being spiritually aware. When he looked at me, he typically looked around and over me like he was staring at my aura or my guides. Sometimes he would smile for no apparent reason. I imagined my guides making silly faces to entertain him. This gave me reason to believe that he was able to see in the spirit realm. That belief was confirmed one day when Sidney was about four years old.

He was with me in my office. I asked him to go get something for me in the other room. He jumped up and started toward the door. Then, all of a sudden he stopped and wouldn’t go through the door. He backed up closer to where I was sitting.

“What’s wrong, Sid?” I asked.

“Von-Von, who is that?” He pointed toward the hallway. I knew what was happening. I had seen a the spirit of young boy flash across my foyer several weeks prior. Yes, I actually see plasma and flashes of light from time to time.

“I’m not sure what his name is,” I said, “but he will not harm you. Let’s call upon Archangels Chamuel and Michael.” I pulled Sid into my lap. He was still staring at the doorway.

“Archangels Michael and Chamuel,” I said, “We have the spirit of a lost boy in our house. Please come and help him see the light and go to a safe place where he can find his friends and family. Thank you.”

“He’s gone,” Sidney said. Then, he slid off my lap and walked through the doorway without hesitation.

Now that Sidney is almost nine years old, his spiritual communication occurs mostly in his dreams. He shared one with me in our podcast interview. I invite you to look inside the book on my Web site. http://TheSidSeries.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and editor, award-winning Amazon.com bestselling author, podcast host, blogger extraordinaire, newsletter publisher, Internet marketing guru, and an outstanding keynote speaker. She is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~