By Gary M. Stern for Next Avenue Josh Koplovitz, an attorney based in Woodstock, N.Y., communicated with his best friend Lester Fensterheim nearly every day. They first met in 1999…
Keeping our eyes on the prize
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain Valentine’s Day is 14 days away while I’m writing this … and I’ve already purchased my wife’s gift. That has NEVER happened in the almost…
What to Say to Someone Who’s Dying
By Jill Smolowe for Next Avenue My friend’s distress was acute. For weeks she’d been running herself ragged, attending to her ailing octogenarian father. Daily visits to the hospital had…
View unpredictability as a friend and celebrate the dash
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain My wife is a fan – a.k.a. fanatic! – of Hallmark movies. Much to her chagrin, I insert a “spoiler alert” and announce how the…
Facing Down the Biggest Fear of All
By Ken Druck for Next Avenue (Editor’s note: This essay is part of a series from author and speaker Ken Druck, based on work in his book Courageous Aging, which is…
5 suggestions to invest in a more “thanks-filled” life
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain I love Thanksgiving! In addition to diving into a boat-load of mashed potatoes topped with creamy chicken and noodles and a side of deep fat…
Tom Petty and Your End-of-Life Wishes
By Elizabeth Newcomb for Next Avenue After rock legend Tom Petty was found unconscious and in cardiac arrest Oct. 2, he could not be revived, his manager said on Petty’s…
Heart and Soul Hospice recognizes Hospice Month
November is National Hospice Month, and to recognize the importance of hospice services to quality end of life care, we would like to share the story of one of our…
What goes bump in the night for you?
By Greg Schmidt, hospice chaplain I was thrilled when I walked down 8th Street in Fairview, Oklahoma, and arrived finally at Mrs. White’s house. She was my second grade teacher and the…
Do You Really Need a Will?
By Rosie Wolf Williams for Next Avenue You might have heard that Prince died without a will, which has already led to a flurry of legal maneuverings over his estate. But…