Thoughts on Endings
Sometimes wounds do not heal.
To contemplate our own death is a difficult task, but one which we all face. In such contemplation we build compassion for other beings and the reciprocal networks in which we coexist. To live consciously in the Anthropocene is to bear witness to a horrifying anthropogenic mass extinction of animals, plants, insects and microbes known as the Earth’s sixth mass extinction (Ceballos, Ehrlich, & Dirzo, 2017).
Making sense of this degree of loss of life is impossible, but to consider each of our own lives as part of that planetary process brings perspective. In the worst moments of grief and loss we search for meaning and completion. We invite you to explore these moments further through the work of others on death and dying.
In offering these links, we hope to contribute to the larger conversation required for our collective healing as individuals and as beings on this wounded earth.
For those interested in end-of-life planning, or who may currently be facing life limiting illness, there are many excellent resources to help you start including:
- Canadian Virtual Hospice
- Personal planning gives us peace of mind | Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry
For those of you interested in what might happen to your body after you die, consider these sites:
For those of you perhaps just interested in exploring the topic of death openly, consider:
Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P. R., & Dirzo, R. (2017). Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – PNAS, 114(30), E6089-E6096. doi:10.1073/pnas.1704949114