by Peggy Flynn | May 27, 2022 | All
I recently attended a symposium that addressed social isolation and loneliness in the lives of seniors, especially during the Covid pandemic. The various presentations brought to mind my years of home visits and consults with individuals and families. Then and now I...
by Peggy Flynn | May 12, 2022 | All
My friend has cancer— what do I say? My sister’s husband just died— what can I do? My neighbor has to go for a serious operation— is there anything I can do? My nephew is dealing with serious mental illness— I’d like to be there for him and the...
by Peggy Flynn | Apr 29, 2022 | Aging, All, Books, Caregiving, Dying and Dealth, Resources
In my opinion, this book is poised to be a game-changer in the lived experience of dementia and dementia care. The author, Amy Bloom, describes navigating the realities of her husband’s Alzheimer’s as it impacted the various domains of his life and her life, up to and...
by Peggy Flynn | Mar 30, 2022 | Aging, All, Dying and Dealth
First I think it is important to note that the evening of life is not necessarily related to chronological age. Anyone diagnosed with an acute, eventually, terminal illness is moving into the evening of life— his or her particular life. I have often seen a...
by Peggy Flynn | Feb 26, 2022 | Aging, All, Dying and Dealth
Neanderthals—dating back to about 160,000 to 40,000 years ago across Eurasia. They were tool makers, hunters, weavers, painters, jewelry makers. Why start our discussion about what comes after with these close relatives, cousins in essence, and ancestors? How are we...
by Peggy Flynn | Feb 24, 2022 | Aging, All, Dying and Dealth
What comes after? I have heard that question from individuals facing imminent death. Now I am hearing it from individuals who have heard about my work in spiritual direction. Sometimes the tone is speculative; sometimes there is a trace of fear; and sometimes there is...
by Peggy Flynn | Nov 24, 2021 | Aging, All, Dying and Dealth
As awesome as it is going to be for families to get together in person—seeing loved ones in person—some will experience shock, a real punch to the gut. I can almost hear the phone conversations between and among the siblings soon after the New Year. Does...
by Peggy Flynn | Sep 24, 2021 | Aging, All, Dying and Dealth, Resources
Okay, here’s my conundrum. So far this year 6 people have brought up the matter of pre-arranging their funerals. I described the process and gave my two main incentives for doing this ASAP. For one, the price of these arrangements is going up each year so essentially,...
by Peggy Flynn | Aug 27, 2021 | Aging, All, Spiritual Direction
Yes, I know we are engulfed in scenes of apocalyptic-scale catastrophes across the globe. Fires. Floods. Populations displaced and at risk. War. Hunger. Covid and other diseases running rampant. The economy is growing/the economy is shrinking. All of this is...
by Peggy Flynn | Aug 14, 2021 | Aging, All
They’re going to have to carry me out of here feet first! Man proposes. What happens when the climate disposes? Images on TV. A section of a Florida condo complex collapses in minutes; no warning. Death in seconds. The remaining unstable structure brought down some...