Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Becoming Dead Right

Author: Frances Shani Parker

ISBN: 978-1-932690-35-4

How does a Detroit high school principal get involved in end-of-life situations? After reading “Becoming Dead Right,” I understand it’s all about “love in work clothes” for her. She writes with style about a mostly untouched subject – death. Her voice is fresh and filled to overflowing with compassion and understanding. When my time comes, I could only hope that someone like Ms. Parker will be there for me.

Jake owns a gasoline station and has evil invisible friends. Jake tries to catch them as they taunt him from the porch, but as he flings open the door, there’s no one there. They shout out what he eats, complain when he doesn’t do something right, and tease him at night by scratching the ceiling. Jake has AIDS, but refuses to believe it. Trusting the author, Jake (and his friends) pile into the compact car, everyone buckles up, and it’s off for medical care.  Parker and Jake’s daughter are there for Jake – his breathing eases slowly into a silent breeze and he closes his eyes for the last time.

Sam has AIDS, too. He didn’t have a problem with unwanted invisible friends. His difficulty was with communication and trust. Through a support group, Sam found others who could see past his skeletal outward appearance. Sam opened up – trusting in communication. “Sam had come full circle through a medical maze of potential hopelessness.”  Now, he doesn’t have time to return phone calls – he’s a busy man.

From “urban Florence Nightingale” to Hospice volunteer would come by the way of a friend – Ellen. Parker signed up for Hospice classes – and so her life of service began. Bea would be her first patient. Bea loved to read and would give oral book reviews, relating the hand-selected books from the library. One day, Michele wandered into Bea’s room as Lesley, Bea’s roommate, sat on her bed. Bea began to present her book review, Michele began to repeat each of her sentences, and Lesley was having a conversation with her imaginary visitor. Parker claims, “I sat listening to this gumbo of chatter from three different people sounding like four each focused on her own compelling words. Somehow it was both interesting and amusing to observe this confusion.”

Death journey is one we all will take and discussion “about death are met with resistance too often.”  Parker explains, “But death is inevitable, and it is wise to be prepared, Ideally, preparations for death should be made long before illness even comes.”  One could be prepared for the entire journey by reading “Becoming Dead Right.”

Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Becoming Dead Right

The above review was contributed by: Sue Vogan, Writer & Author of NCO-No Compassion Observed: To read more of Sue's reviews Click Here