Bridging the Gap: Life Lessons from the Dying

Live vicariously through Kimberly C. Paul as she shares personal stories and the life lessons she has learned while working with hospice patients over the last 18 years. Each chapter will inspire you to design your own life and death around what matters most. The author, Kimberly C. Paul, will urge you to discard what you thought you knew about death and embrace a new way of thinking when facing the end of life. Her stories emphasize that death and dying are not taboo subjects and encourage you to engage in light-hearted conversations as you face your own death or the passing of a loved one. This innovative and uplifting book is an invitation to move beyond the current standards of what death has come to mean in our culture. Bridging The Gap will empower you to design your death so it reflects your values, likes and dislikes and your personality. Death is not a final destination but a transcendental beginning.

Applying her vast experience as a storyteller to her passion, Kimberly C. Paul is radically changing the way people face end of life. After graduating from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC, Kimberly began working on the set of Saturday Night Live, casting for CBS daytime programming and freelancing for several production companies in New York City. While working in the entertainment industry, Kimberly was captivated by the creative process of developing the arc of the story. As she observed the manic rush of writing comedy skits for live television and watched daytime television actors' storylines constantly evolve, she realized she had always been interested in the story. For the last 17 years, however, Kimberly has been telling a very different kind of story; a positive, inspiring story about designing a personal blueprint for an individual's end of life. Kimberly was invited to speak at TEDxAirlie in 2016. Kimberly's Ted-Talk, "Who's That?" epitomized her passion for educating individuals about Advance Care Planning and the issues that may occur for individuals and family members if they do not prepare for end of life. During Kimberly's 18-year career in hospice care, her stories have inspired and empowered many to take action by documenting personal plans prior to the occurrence of a life-ending health crisis. Kimberly's enthusiasm and passion to positively educate people on how to plan for end of life is evident as she shares her stories through speaking engagements, writing, videos, and film. Our death, if designed, can be a beautiful experience and not just a final.