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Death, a Brighter Approach

Nina Impala has worked in the hospice field for the last 15 years, through her writing
she imparts her wisdom from the experiences she has witnessed with the dying and their
grief. The important message that Nina is sharing with her readers is the idea that we can
have a good death. Whether we are actively dying or we have the next 20 years, life is
about preparing for death. Learning and preparing for death is no different than some of
the other major events we go through in our lifetime. We prepare for the birth of a child,
why not prepare ourselves for our own death or the death of a loved one? Surrendering
into the beauty of the cycles we go through in this lifetime brings us freedom, we can
then let go of our idea about death and what it should look like. The journey ultimately
prepares us for death if we stay tuned in and pay attention to the rhythm of life.

    An Unbreakable Heart

     How many heartbreaks can a human endure? There is the popular saying, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger “is negotiable. I am a little bit more philosophical about this. This is not complicated; it is so simple it is beautiful.  Let me start with a quote from Mother Teresa that I have had on my bedroom wall for years.  I might add I could not understand it, but knew one day I would. She says, “ I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt only more love.”

    Slowly Dying

    It is Thursday, my day to visit a 92-year-old man as his hospice volunteer  My visit is a labor of love that I have treasured for the past 15 years. To me, there is no greater service than to visit him, love him, and keep him company in his last days. 

    The Wisdom in Forgiveness

    There are people who enter our lives and  impact us in a profound way, and recently there was a beautiful young man with light green eyes, and a brilliant smile, who entered my life for only a short time but made such an impact on me. He came into my life through a class I was teaching about death and dying at a local high school.

    Grief: Go Right Into Every Feeling

      During the holidays we may be going about our daily schedules and suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, sadness stirs inside us with a tremendous sense of loneliness. Vivid memories of a person or event resurface, acute feelings of loss around missing a family member or dear friend that has passed away or is far from us weigh heavy in our hearts. It can cause us to lose our focus and feel like we are imploding at one of the busiest times of the year. When this happens to a client, a student, or even to me, I have one very surprising recommendation-

    Death Unexpected

    Within minutes I knew our day was about to change, as we came upon crowds of people lining the streets, focused on something with hands to their foreheads, fingers to their lips—the body language we use when we are wondering or are confused about something. I heard comments like, “He hit the car. They pulled out in front of him,” and, “He was on a motorcycle.”


    Bucket List

      Loving myself and everyone else the best I can, everyday, is number one on my bucket list. I cross it off every night before I go to sleep and I add it back on every morning when I wake up. I’ll let you in on a lovely secret that I have been learning from the dying and from those who have had near death experiences.

    About Love and Death

     Almost everyone is looking for love, but most of us do everything we can to avoid death, so it makes sense that we seldom put the two words together.

    The Death Zone is a Holy Place

    Death is an event many people fear, but seeing it through the eyes of the heart you just may find a sense of freedom and perhaps even welcome it whenever that day comes. Educate yourself on a subject that is most feared, embrace it without even the tiniest bit of resistance. The death zone is an incredibly holy place that we will all bravely step into some day.