Rites for the Dying

Our society nearly always acknowledges someone’s death with a memorial of some sort, whether a public or semi-public funeral or a family celebration of the person’s life, but it is not as common to ritually say good-bye to a person while he or she is close to death but has not yet made that transition.

Rites for the dying are usually intimate, with only family and perhaps very close friends present. If the person is still alert, a ritual to say good-bye, let the person know how much he or she meant to you, and give them express permission to go can be immensely comforting both to the person who is dying and to their loved ones.

Even if the person is not alert, holding a vigil around the bedside, perhaps with favorite songs or stories, can be comforting to the family and might be helpful to the person dying as well, for even if the person is in a coma it is possible that he or she will hear you on some deep level of the spirit.

As an Interfaith minister with experience as a hospice spiritual counselor and, before that, a hospital chaplain, I have been present with many people as they have made their transition from this life. Contact me if you would like my help in creating a ritual for your dying loved one. I would be honored to be of help.