Life is short…and most people don’t have a plan for the end of it.

And yet none of us know when that end might come. That’s some hard truth.

So what matters most to you?

How do you want to be cared for?

What are you willing to take responsibility for, and

what are you leaving behind for others to take care of?

What if how you lived the last part of your life – and how you planned for it – was part of the legacy you leave behind?

Advance care planning is not just advance directives, Living Wills, and DNR decisions.

It’s about planning ahead for the last part of your life – planning for your care—where you hope to be, who will be caring for you, how you want to be living your life, what your choices require financially, and more.

It’s a gift you give yourself and your people – taking time to think about and talk about your values and priorities for living the last part of your life.

As with any plan, things don’t always go the way you hope they will. Life happens, as they say.

But you and your close-in people will have a significant advantage if you are clear about your guiding principles – the basic map you want to follow for the last part of your life.

For many of us, it’s easy to put that kind of thinking and conversation on the back burner.

“I’ve got time…I’ll deal with this when I really need to…”

“Where do I even start with all these big questions?”

I get that.

I’ve seen close-up how hard these conversations and reflections can be. I’ve witnessed many families navigate the complex decisions that come with serious illness. It’s not easy to die a natural death, as many people hope to do. And it’s not easy to create a caregiving community at the last minute.

This course can jump-start your thinking and your conversations about the end of life.

I invite you to explore rich content and practical information with me. You will contemplate a variety of reflection questions – topics like:

·       how you want to be cared for,

·       how forgiveness and gratitude might change your relationships,

·       how your beliefs and values have guided your life,

·       the nature of your fears and concerns about aging, illness, and death, and

·       what you want to leave behind that matters.

You will also learn about many new innovations and projects that are changing the face of end-of-life care.

And, like many others who have taken this kind of course, you will likely live with more gratitude and attention as a result of opening these lively conversations.

Talking about our mortality changes how we live.

Or, as Ondrea Levine writes:

“(T)he beauty of the practice is that we can evaluate our lives even before we are on our deathbed. If we are not living the life we wish to live, how can we change that now,

while there is still time?”

This individualized course format is 4 sessions in length, with some self-study.

By the end of our time together, you will leave with:

·       A clear & detailed plan for moving forward with your end-of-life wishes

·       A deeper understanding of what matters most to you

·       A commitment to specific action steps that you have created for moving forward

·       Resources that will support your ongoing exploration of end-of-life priorities

·       Videos and audio recording examples of new ways to imagine the end of life

Imagine how good you’ll feel to have completed something this important.

It’s time!