Take a Sneak Peek
“Rather than explain what to say or do, DeLeo shows us how to be with people who are approaching life’s end. Her guidance is simple, practical, and profound.”
—Ira Byock, M.D., author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible
The first dying person I sat with was a young man, a twenty-eight-year-old cancer patient. He was the same age I was at the time. I didn’t know what to say or do, and how to be with him. I felt scared, helpless and alone.
Twenty-five years later, I can still feel powerless. Powerless over how cancer ravishes a person’s body. Powerless over the choices people made or missed to make to ensure a better end of life. These feelings don’t necessarily go away. My heart aches, I feel sad, I do get tired. I am still human. But there are things I’ve learned and which I share in my new book, Present Through The End. Simple things we can say or do, and that support us to stay when we want to run and share our love while loss is just around the corner.
Present Through The End is a pocket-size guide and an easy read because when you are accompanying someone you need essential and clear advice you can carry with you. I included some of my favorite practices I do ‘on the spot’ which help me stay sane and centered during challenging times.
I hope this book will become your very own companion — from the time you hear the sad news, when you first visit and through the final days. The book comes out in August, but you can take a peek now!
I know from my own experience that daring to be present for a dying person might be one of the hardest thing you have ever done in your life. I hope, through the caring voice of this small guide, you may come to discover, that it can be one of the most intimate, beautiful, and rewarding.
by Kirsten DeLeo