Writer George Saunders describes his brush with death and what it taught him....

Genius writer George Saunders, author of the new book of stories "Tenth of December", talked to the New York Times about his brush with death in an airplane near-crash and how it affected him:

"For three or four days after that it was the most beautiful world. To have gotten back in it, you know? And I thought, If you could walk around like that all the time, to really have that awareness that it's actually going to end. That's the trick."

Read the full article here.

A dying nurse offers herself as instruction in caring

This amazing story from the New York Times describes how a nurse lived every moment of her life with purpose, right up to the end, by teaching nursing students about dying. Click here to read the story.

Life lessons

Here's a wonderful column, by Regina Brett of the Plain Dealer, called Regina Brett's 45 life lessons and five to grow on.

I wish I knew then....

I love this wonderful blog post from Rev. James Martin, SJ on 12 Things I Wish I Knew at 25: Spiritual Learnings on my 50th Birthday

"Look for the helpers" - the wisdom of Mr. Rogers

In the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Hospice Foundation of America's Hospice and Caregiving Blog has offered some good, succinct advice on talking to children after a public tragedy.

Another excellent source of advice is Mr. Rogers, whose words on the subject have gone viral on the internet:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster' I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world."

Read more wise advice from Mr. Rogers here: Fred Rogers Company

Favorite books: "Kitchen Table Wisdom"

I loved the book "Kitchen Table Wisdom". I listened to it on tape, which I highly recommend because you get the nuances of inflection in the wise voice of author Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. But don't take my word for it -- another of my favorites, Jon Kabot-Zinn, highly recommends the book: "A book of stunning radiance, authenticity, and power. I laughed and cried my way through it, from beginning to end....Come share in this extraordinary outpouring of human wisdom Dr. Remen reveals to us in the mirror of her own boundless heart. Don't let an opportunity like this go by."

Here's a link to Dr. Remen's website: http://www.rachelremen.com/

"Keeping Eulogies Alive to Remember the Dead"

An interesting article on eulogies appeared in the Huffington Post's Religion section. You can read it here: Keeping Eulogies Alive to Remember the Dead