Detroit Death Ritual

This death ritual is an excerpt from my book Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes, which shares my insights and hospice volunteer experiences in Detroit nursing homes. In a chapter titled "Death Sentences," I relate the fascinating end-of-life journey of my hospice patient named Lelia. The afterlife is referred to as the Other Side of Through. Because Lelia had very little family support, the hospice chaplain organized her death ritual, which concluded in this manner:

"Our humble circle stood in the front yard of a Detroit nursing home to perform our final death ritual for Lelia. People riding by in cars on a busy street observed a lively group of ecstatic mourners looking upward, enthusiastically singing 'Going to Shout All Over God's Heaven.' Passionate voices resonated like rockets. We released our buoyant balls of bliss floating in a hurry to get somewhere. I imagined Lelia looking on, bobbing her head to the gospel beat. She grinned her toothless rainbow smile that colored our hearts with joy from the Other Side of Through when we all yelled, "Bye, Lelia! Have yourself a good time!

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers and in e-book form at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Dead-Right-Volunteer-ebook/dp/B004LGRYVC/ref=kinw_dp_ke?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2"> Amazon </A> and <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Becoming-Dead-Right/Frances-Shani-Parker/e/2940012152435/?itm=1&USRI=frances+shani+parker "> Barnes and Noble </A> booksellers.

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