I wish I had read Final Gifts, by Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley, before I had discovered Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. She is my favorite author and expert on death, and while she passed away a few years ago, her legacy lives on through her words. I found so much comfort from "On Death and Dying," and "Love and Light Tunnels," that it is hard to describe. Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley deserve credit for their work in hospice care, and for bringing the concept of near death awareness to light. Dr. Ross described this a lot, but the book "Final Gifts:Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying," this could be considered a guide of sorts in the subject of end of life care. It is fairly straightforward, with a lack of medical terminology that often confuses the average reader, and I did find it to have value.

This book describes the work of hospice care, and how it is so vital, to have the family of the dying involved in this part of life that we all must face. That alone might help someone, and for that, the authors should be commended. There are suggestions on how to handle the impending death of a loved one, and what kinds of effects this has on family members and friends. Its an emotional book no doubt, sad in many respects, but at the same time it is full of hope. A lot of this goes into what Dr. Kubler-Ross discussed about the five stages of grief, and how that applies to dying, and those who contend with the imminent loss or passing of a loved one.

You learn about symbiotic language. This is sometimes missed, as those who are on their death beds, talk about transitions. Many of these are brought up in this book, such as a military man talking about "having his papers in order," or "people talking about traveling." These are verbal cues that show that a person very much is aware of death coming soon, and a warning to all who love them, that they might want to be with them.(Each case is different of course, as sometimes the dying do want to be left alone, and each person's wishes of course must be respected) There are also non-verbal cues, such as blinking eyes, or in some cases, final requests such as reconciliation that this person dying feels needs to be taken care of.

I was heartbroken to read some of these stories, as so many of them involved people, in the prime of their lives. One little girl was age nine, and so many were in their thirties. The hospice workers show the importance of a "game plan," and how a family can comfort their dying loved one, and how a person who's been diagnosed with an incurable condition, can still make decisions. Its a delicate balancing act, and hospice workers are true angels on Earth. There is a section where many of them describe their failures and successes, and its an honest look at those who are involved in this, and why all of us may want to consider this option one day. They set up everything from events, to care plans for patients and their families, and have to navigate difficult grounds.

There are a lot of stories in here, about what dying people experience. You learn about what its like at the end of life, and what happens to the body a bit. There's nothing real graphic, but you get a better understanding. I loved the story about the patient that saw her sister waiting for her. She was not told, but her sister had died while she was dying, and this is open to interpretation of course. Yet as a Christian man, I believe that this is more proof of what I already know. However, it is up to each reader to believe what they find to be true, and some of this book, is open to that. It contends with people of all religious faiths or none at all, and the experiences are all very similar. While this is not a great book, I'll give it a recommendation for people interested in hospice care, and handling end of life issues.     

Recommended: Yes