| What does HELP mean? |
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ARTICLE SUMMARY Arvy was pushing the broom when his boss announced an opening for a welder trainer. A black man in the late 50's, Arvy had few chances in life, but he worked hard at everything he did, no matter how small a task. His boss rewarded his efforts and taught him welding, a skill he supported his family with for 50 years. Now at 76 facing his own death his eyes filled with tears, thanking this man for this chance, for hope. What is HELP for families to cope with Death and Dying?
FULL ARTICLE Arvy was pushing the broom when his boss announced an opening for a welder trainer. A black man in the late 50's, Arvy had few chances in life, but he worked hard at everything he did, no matter how small a task. His boss rewarded his efforts and taught him welding, a skill he supported his family with for 50 years. Now at 76 and facing his own death his eyes filled with tears, thanking this man for this chance, for hope. What is HELP for families to cope with Death and Dying? HOPE means to believe in something, even when fears and doubt seems to take over. Hope in a cure, hope in pain control, and hope for love from another will help sustain you for the trials you face. All of our lives we live with hope, and when faced with death and dying, this should not change. EXPRESS is to speak our minds with heart-felt conviction, to tell those we love, especially a loved one who is facing death and dying, that we love them, and will miss them when he or she is gone. Forgive and seek forgiveness from your loved one. Talk from your heart, express the truth and this will bring you closer to your loved one than you ever thought possible. In her book “On Death and Dying” Elizabeth Kubler Ross said many patients were depressed until they spoke about the own death and dying. By talking about the issue of death and dying patients were caused less harm and were able to use their time to sit listen and share. LIVE is to do more than exist day to day – it is to grow and mature as you and your loved one face more challenges than you may have thought possible. But you do this one day at a time, taking that time you need to be with one another, treasuring it as you have never done in the past. The urgency is there, when your loved one is facing death and dying PROMISE is to be there for your loved one until the end. This means to be present fully, not only physically but emotionally and spiritually as well. If you cannot be present at the moment of death, be there fully when you are present. You should not be embarrassed about running out of things to say – by sitting next to your loved one, holding hands; you are fulfilling the promise to be there as he or she face death and dying. HELP is the way to find comfort and meaning as your loved one is facing death and dying. |