How to say goodbye : the wisdom of hospice caregivers

How to say goodbye The wisdom of hospice caregivers

Wendy MacNaughton

Book - 2023

"As artist-in-residence at the Zen Hospice Project Guest House, Wendy MacNaughton experienced firsthand how difficult it is to know what to do when we're sharing final moments with a loved one. In this tenderly illustrated guide to saying goodbye, with a foreword by renowned physician and author BJ Miller, MacNaughton shows how to make sure those moments are meaningful. Using a framework of "the five things" taught to her by a professional caregiver, How to Say Goodbye provides a model for having conversations of love, respect, and closure: with the words "I forgive you," "Please forgive me," "Thank you," "I love you," and "Goodbye," each oriented toward finding mutual pe...ace and understanding when it matters most. How to Say Goodbye features MacNaughton's drawn-from-life artwork from both the Zen Hospice Project Guest House and her own aunt's bedside as she died, each paired with hospice caregivers' gentle advice on creating a positive sensory experience, acknowledging what you can't control, and sharing memories and gratitude. A poignant guide to embracing the present and deepening relationships during great vulnerability, How to Say Goodbye shows that just as there is no one right way to live a good life, there is no one right way to say goodbye. Whether confused, scared, or uncertain, this book is a starting point"--

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Subjects
Hospice care > Philosophy.
Informational works.
Illustrated works.
Genres
Informational works
Illustrated works
Published
New York : Bloomsbury Publishing 2023.
Language
English
Main Author
Wendy MacNaughton (author)
Item Description
First published in the United States 2017.
Physical Description
xiii, 105 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 19 cm
ISBN
9781639730858
  • Foreword
  • Introduction
  • How to Say Goodbye
  • Resources
  • Acknowledgements
Review by Booklist Review

Years ago, MacNaughton served as an artist-in-residence at a now closed San Francisco hospice. She first published her illustrated reflections of what that residency taught her about accompanying those who are dying as a 200-copy "artists' book," and the feedback she received inspired her to publish this version for a larger audience. While MacNaughton has authored and/or illustrated ten books, it's her collaboration in Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (2017) that will make her joyfully faithful and expressive cartooning style instantly recognizable to readers. Full-page illustrations show residents falling asleep, knitting, or sending emails while drinking a coke. There are through lines in the form of vases of flowers that wilt as the book progresses, and from-life drawings of MacNaughton's own aunt as she died. Words are spare, poignant, and practical: "If you don't know what to say, start by saying that. That's very vulnerable." An introduction from a hospice physician and a list of resources round this out as a perfect library book: one that everyone could use, one time or another.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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