Showing results for "George" in Death & Dying

The conventional view of grieving - encapsulated by the famous five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance - is defined by a mourning process that we can only hope to accept and endure. In The Other Side of Sadness, psychologist and emotions expert George Bonanno argues otherwise. Our inborn emotions - anger and denial, but also relief and joy - help us deal effectively with loss. To expect or require only grief-stricken behavior from the bereaved does them harm.

In elderhood, the health care system has a narrow view of how to provide care. It focuses on extending a patient's life at all costs, with an over-reliance on machines and procedures, instead of caring holistically for the person. Accordingly, many of us will likely spend our final weeks in long-term care facilities or an ICU. Dying at home, peacefully, and surrounded by family is almost impossible in our world—and our fear of death is a major contributor to this impossibility.

Lexi saw him for the first time in the fourth-floor pediatric cancer clinic. He was tall, handsome, and had a full head of dark hair—nothing like the little kids she was used to meeting during her routine hospital visits. No, Ricky was wholly unexpected. He stared at her, mesmerized by her stunning blue eyes. She looked at him carefully, wondering what his motivation for hanging out in a cancer clinic could be. He smiled confidently, unbothered by her bald scalp. Lexi softly returned the smile. Neither of them aware how this moment would entwine them forever.