Category Archives: Dying

The Mary Mac Show | Conversations About Death and Dying

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 90, we discuss the importance of speaking about death and dying preferably long before imminent death is upon our relatives and loved ones.

There is no doubt this is an uncomfortable topic, but one we need to discuss.

In this day and age, we have no idea when terminal illness and death will visit ourselves or our family.

And since so much is uncertain with variants of a virus that has consumed so much of the last year and a half, not to mention how the vaccine has killed people, we live in a specifically uncertain time.

It is true that if we didn’t have to deal with this, we wouldn’t.

It is uncomfortable.

Many people find it hard to talk about death and dying.

We’d rather leave it up to someone else.

But don’t let fear stop you from truly connecting with someone you love during the end days.

Sometimes death comes very quickly and it would be sad if you hadn’t had a conversation around death long before it ever occurred in your relationship with them.

If you had this conversation when they were well, or when they were diagnosed with an illness, you would capture a very wonderful connection with them.

There would be no regrets.

You would have said all you’d like to say to someone who meant so much to you.

We don’t know what the future holds these days. Life is so fragile now.

Take the time to think about this.

If it’s too sensitive to speak all you want to say aloud, do so in writing.

Either way, your soul will be at peace and no matter what happens in the future, you are settled.

Personally, I am thinking about writing out letters to the most important people in my life to acknowledge those who have helped me, loved me and let them know how grateful I feel to have them in my life.

With all that’s happening in this world, we could leave this life in an instant.

Use the time you have to make a difference.

Love you.
xoxo

Additional Notes:

If you are ill or grieving a loved one’s death, take the time to research a hotline with trained counselors to speak with.

The very best individuals to connect with are those who are suffering your exact type of death. Go here.

If my podcast has helped you, I’d love for you to buy me a coffee to show your support! Thanks!

Featured in American Bazaar to Reach India amid Covid Resurgence

In the spring and summer of 2020 here in the USA, we were going through an unprecedented lockdown which brought fear of the unknown to us.

At that time India had not yet heard of The Mary Mac Show.

But now, since my listeners in India have become my #2 audience in the world, only behind the USA, I wanted to reach out to the English speaking media in India to let them know that I had prepared many episodes on the coronavirus and how we are dealing with our grief when a loved one is dying or has died from this dreaded and sudden illness.

So I emailed 52 individual editors of newspapers in India and only one amazing lady saw the value of my work.

Hats off to Ms. Zofeen Maqsood of American Bazaar Online who understood how important it is to help the Indian people through their grief.

Thank you Zofeen for your kindness.

Go here to read the entire article!

xoxo

The Mary Mac Show | Intellectual Challenges

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 73, we discuss the various intellectual challenges we go through after the death of a loved one and ways to help ourselves cope through these challenges.

When we have a significant loss, we find ourselves in what one would consider a ‘fog’ or ‘bubble’ at the beginning of our grief.

It is during that time when we feel enveloped in a sort of safety net where we are protected.

We do many things on autopilot and at times are unsure how we did all we did.

Sometimes we are going through the motions, like driving our car to work and can’t remember how we got there. It all seems so unreal.

And when the bubble or fog is slowly lifting we might feel even worse because we can’t convince ourselves any longer that this was all a nightmare.

It is then we realize this is very real.

Listen in to Episode 73 to learn more.

xoxo

Additional Notes:

For my friends in India and elsewhere around the world who are seeing another wave of the Coronavirus, please listen in to the following episodes at The Mary Mac Show website which I recorded in 2020 when we were in locked down in the USA – Episodes 16-22 and 39 and 52.

Visit Crisis Connections at my website to telephone a trained counselor to speak with whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, frightened, fearful or any host of emotions.

Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique here for Stress and Overwhelm. It will soothe you and calm you physically and emotionally. Also spend time in this guided meditation on Self Compassion, which we all need. Dr. Arianna also offers many wonderful tapping and guided-meditations to choose from based upon which is best for you.

You can watch Marissa Peer’s “I Am Enough” meditation.

Bach’s Rescue Remedy will calm and soothe you. Remember, it does have alcohol in if, if that is a concern for you.

Treat yourself to a lovely gift from our Heart of Gold “I Remember” Products from The Mary Mac Store.

Remember, a portion of all proceeds help fund The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., the first national non-profit public charity which benefits children, teens, young adults after a loved one’s death which I established many years ago.

And remember to sign up for my private email list so we can always stay in touch, since social media is no longer reliable. Receive my ebook 21 Things You Must Know About The Grieving Process for immediate download.

The Mary Mac Show | Difficult Discussions

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In this week’s episode, we speak about the Difficult Discussions that families need to have, but fail to have, surrounding end-of-life care, death and burial.

I realize this is not something that many families consciously do long before it is needed, but it is a topic that we are all more aware of this year, with the pandemic, than ever before.

Since there is a good chance that this is the first time since spring that you will be with your family to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and other year-end holidays this year, I am encouraging you to please use that time specifically as an opportunity to discuss these topics and start to think about what your older relatives may want for themselves when they die or become ill.

It might be your grandparents, parents, even you and your spouse.

Listen in to Episode 52 as we discuss how important it is to gather as a family this season to talk about end-of-life preferences and the best ways to carry them out.

Bless you.

xoxo

The Mary Mac Show | Coronavirus | A Cousin’s Death | Coping With The Inability To Be At Your Loved One’s Deathbed

The Mary Mac Show Podcast

In Episode 22, I wanted to speak about the experience of having had a loved one die of the coronavirus and how that affects us.

Dianne M. Daniels, who is taking the same online course as I am, was gracious to provide her outlook after the death of her beloved cousin, Alexis.

A bright, beautiful and accomplished women, Alexis was also an entrepreneur who is survived by her husband, Arthur, two children, David and Olivia, as well as her mother DeeDee, and countless other family members who will miss her terribly. Alexis’ battle against the virus took her life on April 10th.

Dianne speaks of how the weeks leading up to Alexis’ death were filled with anxiety yet hopefulness. Alexis had had allergies and breathing difficulties including asthma which meant she was at greater risk to contract the virus.

Dianne M. Daniels
Alexis Wyatt Williams

Listen in to Episode 22 to hear more about Dianne’s experience leading up to the death of her cousin, Alexis.

Also in this episode, I discuss how to cope with the inability to be with those who were in nursing facilities and hospitals and died without family near.

There are so many complicated emotions which arise from a coronavirus death.

Before this virus struck us and quarantined our families, we would simply go to their home, the nursing home, the hospital or other facility and be with them as they passed away.

But not being able to do that just now has added guilt, anger, a feeling of impotence and other emotions which we would be smart to deal with now, right here, so these feeling don’t linger and spiral out of control.

Listen in to Episode 22, share with those who might be in need of comfort and knowledge and rate and review wherever you hear my podcast.

Learn EFT by visiting Brad Yates’ youtube channel. His video on Overwhelm will also help you.

Navy Seals breathing exercise to calm you, decrease anxiety.

Get my free book “The 21 Things You Must Know About the Grieving Process” by completing the form and you’ll receive an email with link to obtain it.

Blessings to the Williams and Daniels families as they grieve the loss of Alexis.

Stay well, stay safe. xoxo