Dignity in Death: Accepting, Assisting, and Preparing for the End of Life

“I have plenty of time to think about death.”

The truth is, none of us are getting out of here alive, and few of us avoid the anguish of living through a loved one’s death. Barbara Frandsen, a lifelong educator who lost her own mother as a child, shares her observations and thoughts:

• How does the death of a parent impact a child?
• Does losing an older parent differ from other losses?
• Is it more courageous to fight for life or to accept death?
• What words and actions tend to comfort as we transition?
• How can we prepare for an end on our own terms?

Dignity in Death is an invitation to release fear and embrace acceptance, opening new and limitless opportunities for knowledge, adventure, and unconditional love.

Barbara's earliest experience with death occurred at age seven when her mother was diagnosed with stage four, incurable cancer. Later, as a young mother, Barbara spent many weekends helping her father face cancer as he processed his early decisions. Although other losses followed, few life experiences affected Barbara more than a year she and her husband, Chris, spent as co-caregivers to their terminally ill son-in-law. Ultimately, a diagnosis of her son s cancer raised intense levels of soul-searching. Thankfully, her son became a cancer survivor who now embraces life with gusto and appreciation. Each experience provoked questions and even doubts; each one also prompted spiritual growth. Barbara spent most of her life as an educator. Following work with children and teens, she became a teachers teacher at a small urban university. From her early years, Barbara followed her goal to serve. To this end, she shares this book.