Do terms such as life prolonging measures and advance directives leave you dazed and confused? Have you ever wondered what it means to have a good death? Does deciding when enough is enough for a dying loved one sound like an overwhelming responsibility? You're not alone. Meet Margaret Williams. It's been four months since Margaret's husband Ernie died. They were married for forty-one years. Now they aren't. So Margaret has agreed to try volunteering at Rockaway House, even though she isn't at all convinced that it's a good ...
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Do terms such as life prolonging measures and advance directives leave you dazed and confused? Have you ever wondered what it means to have a good death? Does deciding when enough is enough for a dying loved one sound like an overwhelming responsibility? You're not alone. Meet Margaret Williams. It's been four months since Margaret's husband Ernie died. They were married for forty-one years. Now they aren't. So Margaret has agreed to try volunteering at Rockaway House, even though she isn't at all convinced that it's a good idea. In the small town of Chesterton, Iowa, Rockaway House is like no other home. Everyone who comes here, dies here, because Rockaway House is a hospice. For Margaret, although it would be grand to find a real purpose for her life-whatever may be left of it-honestly, she'd be glad just to have a reason to get up in the morning. But as it turns out, Rockaway House becomes a blessing greater than Margaret would ever have dared wish for. The patients-inspiring and lovable and confounding-come to Rockaway House for comfort and to say goodbye. They, too, get more than they bargained for when they find peace and hope and forgiveness. And along with the staff and volunteers, they discover treasures of heart and hearth and meet a family from another time, who at long last gets to share its story and its invaluable legacy. A writer and speaker on Ethical Wills, medical decision making and end-of-life for over a decade, attorney Jo Kline Cebuhar blends her legal expertise with her story-telling skills to weave a tale of love, laughter and legacy in her first novel, EXIT. Travel with Jo to meet the inspiring folks of Rockaway House and share their wisdom on the meaning of a good death-and a good life. Mark Bennett, Terre Haute Tribune-Star: "The message centers on end-of-life health care practices, but delivers it with touching and funny vignettes about navigating that inevitability."
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