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# Friends of Hospice: Caring and Guidance at End-of-Life.

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://friendsofhospice.net/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [My Back Porch Cemetery Gives Me Cause to Pause](https://friendsofhospice.net/my-back-porch-cemetery-gives-me-cause-to-pause/): From my back porch I can clearly see the city and the cemetery, with a river in between. In the evenings I sit and watch as the sun sets on it all.  The shadows lengthen, the orange, red, and gold hues appear.  There is softness in the closing of the day and I am reminded of the rhythm of each day, of each life.  The river can be heard running from cemetery to city.
- [Go To Your Comfort Zone; Then Leave It](https://friendsofhospice.net/go-to-your-comfort-zone-then-leave-it/): Last week while driving to work I found myself only half-listening to NPR’s interview by Scott Simon, from the series Next Chapter, entitled Wisdom from YA Authors on Leaving Home:  Neal Shusterman.   That was until I heard the following words uttered by Mr. Shusterman:   “Find your comfort zone and then leave it because the greatest experiences of our lives are the ones that we have when we have stepped out of our comfort zone.  That’s where you really grow.”
- [Roadside Assistance for Grief Along the Journey](https://friendsofhospice.net/roadside-assistance-for-grief-along-the-journey/): Recently I was traveling home with two dear friends from a deeply moving funeral, when we noticed a car along the side road just off the highway.    It was windy, rainy, and cold.  The hood of the car was up with a female looking under the hood.  We decided to detour from our route and see if we could offer assistance.  As we pulled up I realized I knew this person and she started to share the circumstances of her situation.  We listened and then offered to give her a jump start.   She was then able to resume her journey, get back onto the main highway, and continue.
- [The Tracks of Our Tears](https://friendsofhospice.net/the-tracks-of-our-tears/): Tears are your body’s release valve for stress, sadness, grief, anxiety, and frustration. Also, you can have tears of joy, happiness, excitement, or surprise.
- [Recommended Reading](https://friendsofhospice.net/recommended-reading/): Read any good books lately? I have. Reading has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Dr. Seuss, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and others filled my childhood. I am what some might consider an indiscriminate reader. I like to think of myself as eclectic! I usually have 2-4 books in process at any given time. I vary between fiction and non-fiction. I have had periods of my life when the only thing I read was textbooks.
- [Grief and the Holidays](https://friendsofhospice.net/grief-and-the-holidays/): With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, the following information on getting through the holidays after the death of a loved one seems timely. Remember to take what works for you and don’t worry about the rest. Be kind to yourself and others who are grieving during this holiday season. Peace be with you.
- [Tips for Handling the Holidays](https://friendsofhospice.net/tips-for-handling-the-holidays/): From those of us at Friends of Hospice to all of you: we wish you and yours peace, love, and comfort during this holiday season. With Christmas just a few days away we want to share some ideas that may be helpful in dealing with loss during this time of the year. Take what works for you, what feels right, and don’t worry about the rest. This information is from GriefNet.org, another great resource for those experiencing grief.
- [Reflecting the Silence: Supporting a Grieving Person](https://friendsofhospice.net/reflecting-the-silence-supporting-a-grieving-person/): People often share their uncertainty about what to do for a grieving person.  They are afraid of making a mistake, saying the wrong thing, or causing the person to cry.  Tears are not to be feared.  They are a physical and emotional release.  Tears when witnessed by a deeply caring person not trying to fix us, but instead be quietly with us, are healing.  Perhaps more healing than tears unwitnessed.
- [Weeding in the Garden of Grief:  Supporting a Grieving Person](https://friendsofhospice.net/weeding-in-the-garden-of-grief-supporting-a-grieving-person/): Weeds and grief such untidy parts of life.  Just when we think we’ve got the yard back in order a weed pops us, and sometimes even more ferocious than the first shoot up.
- [Walking Through The Woods: Supporting a Grieving Person](https://friendsofhospice.net/walking-through-the-woods-supporting-a-grieving-person/): Walking through my own grief and accompanying others in theirs, the lyrics from The Prayer, “Watch us where we go; help us to be wise in times when we don’t know,” resonate deeply the truth of supporting one another in grief.
- [Honoring Our Dearly Departed](https://friendsofhospice.net/honoring-our-dearly-departed/): The first funeral I attended was a fairly somber affair in the mid 1980’s. Most people attending wore black or dark colored clothes. The music was quiet in the background. The traditional services at that time consisted of a family viewing of their loved one, a public viewing, and a formal funeral service complete with eulogy, hymns, flower covered casket, pall bearers, and a graveside service. The most recent funeral I attended earlier in 2017 included open sharing time for people to tell stories and talk about the deceased. Most people were wearing clothing that mimicked and honored the cowboy clothing worn by their loved one who had died. A slide-show, with accompanying country music, a granddaughter singing a song about families, and a well spread table afterward was a far cry from my first experience.
- [Fairs and Funerals](https://friendsofhospice.net/fairs-and-funerals/): Spending this past weekend living between hellos and goodbyes, fairs and funerals, it became clear what a gift I was given.  To witness the hello in goodbye and the goodbye in hello; neither done alone, but rather in community.
- [Thin Places](https://friendsofhospice.net/thin-places/): The early Celtic people believed that certain places had the ability to draw you into the innermost aspects of existence. These Celts, who inhabited the British Isles in pre-Christian times, (500 – 1000 AD) believed that we can mine the depths of our being at these so called “thin places.” Some might think of these occasions as an encounter with God, while others might prefer to speak of a meeting with the deepest aspects of what makes life meaningful. In the Celtic experience, these thin places were geographical locations scattered throughout Ireland and Scotland. In these holy places a person can experience less than a paper thin divide between the past, present and future. There were holy trees, holy mountains and holy wells among other thin places. What these places had in common was that they were “where the veil between this world and the next is so sheer you can almost step through.”
- [Why Some People Don’t Die In Peace – Guest Blog](https://friendsofhospice.net/why-some-people-dont-die-in-peace-guest-blog/): Throughout my career as a doctor working with patients in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices I have had the opportunity to witness the dying process on many occasions. I have learned that even though the outcome of this process is always the same—the death of the physical body—there are many different ways to die.
- [Finding Beauty at End of Life](https://friendsofhospice.net/finding-beauty-at-end-of-life/): “I don’t know how you do what you do.” 
- [Children and Grief – Books to Share](https://friendsofhospice.net/children-and-grief-books-to-share/): The only deaths I recall being aware of as a child are family pets, and farm animals raised for food. Perhaps living in the country was an early introduction to the reality of death. It was a normal part of everyday living. I was an adult before my life was touched by the death of a beloved grandpa. I learned a lot through those experiences.

## Pages
- [Chef’s Night Out](https://friendsofhospice.net/chefs-night-out/): Sample 12 signature dishes from 6 local restaurants and cast your votes for the best in three categories. Enjoy live entertainment by Andru Gomez, a no-host bar, a silent auction and the company of friends and supporters.
- [Trees of Light](https://friendsofhospice.net/trees-of-light/): One such cherished tradition is the Annual Trees of Light and Remembrance Ceremony. This ceremony invites us to gather with friends and neighbors to honor and remember those who have touched our lives in beautiful ways, whether they passed recently or long ago, and whether they lived locally or afar.
- [Blog](https://friendsofhospice.net/blog/): Blog
- [Board of Directors](https://friendsofhospice.net/board-of-directors/): The board is committed to serving individuals, and their families, and caregivers on their end-of-life journey.
- [Contact](https://friendsofhospice.net/contact/): Our office hours may vary. To ensure we're available to assist you, we encourage you to call ahead before visiting.
- [Community Grants](https://friendsofhospice.net/community-grants/): Friends of Hospice is proud to support compassionate end-of-life, palliative care and grief-related services throughout our community through our Community Grants Program. These grants are designed to strengthen local nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to dignity, comfort, and support for individuals and families facing serious illness, loss, and bereavement.
- [Events](https://friendsofhospice.net/events/): 6-week Fall 2025 Series
- [Donate](https://friendsofhospice.net/donate/): We are a 501 (c)(3) organization.  Our tax ID number is 91-1648462.
- [Hospice Defined](https://friendsofhospice.net/hospice-defined/): The focus is on palliative care—relieving symptoms and ensuring comfort—rather than curing the illness. Hospice prioritizes quality of life over quantity, offering compassionate care that honors the wishes and needs of both patients and their families.
- [Home](https://friendsofhospice.net/)
- [Massage Therapy](https://friendsofhospice.net/massage-therapy/): Hospice massage is a soothing, gentle form of physical touch that can bring immense comfort to those who receive it.
- [Resources & Links](https://friendsofhospice.net/resources-links/): They are for public convenience. We aren’t responsible for the content, appearance or information of these pages.
- [Living Legacy](https://friendsofhospice.net/living-legacy/): Through professionally recorded audio CDs, we create a lasting legacy that your family and friends will treasure for generations.
- [Hospice Music Services](https://friendsofhospice.net/hospice-music-services/): We offer comfort and compassion to individuals and families during life’s most profound transitions. With gentle voices and calming melodies, we aim to bring a sense of serenity to those at the thresholds of living and dying.
- [Grief Support](https://friendsofhospice.net/grief-support/): Whether or not the loss was connected to hospice care, all are welcome to find solace and understanding within our support groups.
- [Books](https://friendsofhospice.net/books/): PS 155.9 Huntley, Theresa M.
Helping Children Grieve: When someone they love dies