06 Mar Reflections in the Latter Part of Life
CREATING A LEGACY FROM OUR EVERYDAY LIVES:
REFLECTIONS IN THE LATTER PART OF LIFE
A workshop led by Claire Willis, author of Lasting Words: A Guide to Finding Meaning Toward the Close of Life
Tuesday, April 29th, 6:00-8:00 pm, Marlboro Graduate Center
Many of us have prepared legal wills to distribute our belongings after we die. But few of us have considered leaving a spiritual/ethical will, a record of who we are, a document that can be offered to loved ones either while we are still alive or after we are gone. Each of us has a need to be known, to be remembered, and to express our values and our love. In this two-hour session we will begin to write our legacy as a way to be remembered, give deeper purpose to our life and pass on our stories and values to those we love in future generations as we make deeper meaning from our lives.
This workshop is for anyone in the latter half of their lives as well as people living with chronic and life threatening illness. No prior writing experience is necessary. This is a free event sponsored by Brattleboro Area Hospice. Space is limited to 30 people on a first-to-register basis. Please call Joyce at 257-0775 ext. 105 to preregister.
FROM CLAIRE WILLIS, AUTHOR OF LASTING WORDS
Whether we are sick with a life threatening illness or just entering the latter part of our life, we all want to feel that we belonged, that we were known, that our lives made a difference, and that we will be remembered in the hearts and minds of those we love. Over the 25 years I have been working with people living with life threatening illness, I have witnessed over and over again both the gifts as well as the losses of this particular period of life. I have seen people open in unexpected ways, coming into a sharp awareness of the present moment and a much deeper appreciation of themselves, their lives and the lives of those around them. (continued)
Imagine if you could find your clearest words to tell someone you love about what is most important in your heart. Or say I am sorry to someone you hurt, maybe even a decade ago, or say “Thank you” to someone whose presence really changed your life. Or perhaps create a living will passing on your beliefs, your values, your blessings, and your love, rather than just your possessions.
I wrote Lasting Words to help people step into these openings and find more completion and resolution in their life while leaving extraordinary gifts to those they love. Each chapter is based on a commonly identified end of life concern with a short anecdote, a written reflection, poetry, questions for consideration or writing and a closing meditation. (This book is available in the Hospice library.)