A moving and inspiring account of how one Final Flinger used the site to help her live life to the full, right to the end.
Living life to the full – right to the end
Real life experience
Using lockdown productively for end of life planning
I’ve had a lovely connection with a Flinger over the past few weeks and I thought it worth sharing as a prompt to doing useful things with pockets of free time. If you are depressed by Coronavirus lockdown, feeling shackled by Covid-19 limitations, thinking more about end of life than usual, Dot’s tale might help. […]
Match-making for a terminal partner – what do you think?
So this week I’ve been contacted by a TV production company who are researching whether there’s programme potential in the subject of match-making for a terminal partner.
Suicide, the funeral eulogy and breaking the silence
I’m writing a funeral today and thinking about suicide, the funeral eulogy and breaking the silence.
Grief and the loss of a child
How on earth does anyone survive the loss of a child?
The feature film A Love That Never Dies, on release at selected independent cinemas this month, shares how some parents have coped.
How long grief lasts
For the last week, I’ve been reflecting on a question Professor Allan Kellehear raised about how long grief lasts. He posed this question during his keynote speech on Creating Compassionate Cities at the Everyday Compassion conference in Glasgow. He answered his own question. “Grief doesn’t last 6 weeks or 6 years. It lasts forever.”
Living with the end in mind
I was thrilled to meet Kathryn Mannix in Glasgow at Aye Write book festival where she was talking in her gentle, wise voice about living with the end in mind. The audience hung on her every word as she shared the years of knowledge and experience she has built up as a palliative care specialist, […]
A Time to Live – documentary about dying
Perfectly timed to keep up the momentum of Dying Matters Awareness Week, is next week’s A Time To Live: a documentary about dying. It airs on BBC2 on Wednesday at 9pm. “I met with documentary maker, Sue Bourne in March last year,” says Barbara Chalmers of Final Fling. “On the back of making the very successful film The Age Of Loneliness, the BBC asked Sue what she wanted to do next. She wondered what it would be like to live in the light of a terminal diagnosis and was looking for help to reach out for participants. I was glad to help and reach out to members of the Final Fling community – people who are engaged with the process of living and dying.
The role of an Executor
Thanks to Chantal from Castleacre Insurance for sharing insights into the role of an Executor this week. This could also be entitled: Executor Forced by the Court to Reimburse an Estate to the tune of £300,000. A little more arresting. Here’s what Chantal tells us: Many people who take on the role of executor for a […]
Death and letting go
This week, we look at the challenge of facing death and letting go, thanks to Evelyn Temple who shares her thoughtful, poignant story of her dad’s end of life wish – Just Let Me Go. Evelyn shares: February 25 2017 marked ten years since my Dad died. My Dad – strong, humble, constant, hardworking. He was my rock […]
Spirituality and belief
Final Fling’s Founder, Barbara Chalmers, is exploring Spirituality and Belief as part of a Masters in Design Innovation at the esteemed Glasgow School of Art:
I imagine that spirituality and belief comes into sharp focus for many of us when we are facing mortality… in our daily reflections, at times of heightened awareness, when we’re coping with death, dying and loss. Spirituality might feel like a need or gap. It might feel like a support or crutch. Belief might help make sense at a confusing or troubling time.
Funeral for a friend
I had the bittersweet experience of a funeral for a friend this week. A fine celebration of a life lived well and welcome words expressing not her bravery fighting her cancer but her anger at having to leave before she wanted and her frustration at not having completed her mission to make the world a better place (though for sure, she made a big dent in that one).
Using Final Fling – a user’s tale
This week, Sue Friston, Final Flinger, shares her experience of using Final Fling, one year on.
I thought it would be useful to share with others to make 3 key points:
– you don’t have to do everything at once
– one action is better than none
– keep it up… one step leads to another.
Time for a Life MOT?
Are you interested in a Life MOT? Barbara Chalmers, Founder of Final Fling offers personalised Life MOT packages. A qualified life coach, executive coach, and COSCA Counselling Skills qualified, Barbara is trained in MAP and PATH techniques and is also considered a death coach.
Living to Die
Are you dying to live or living to die? And does your view change if you are told you only have months to live? This week’s blog comes from Sue Bourne, award-winning documentary maker, who wants to connect with YOU, if you have had a terminal diagnosis and want to share your experience.
Remembering Christine
Friend of Fling, Barry Ward, this week shares news of Remembering Christine – the book he has written in tribute to his wife Christine who died last year.
Care after death at home
This week, Kate Clark from Pushing Up the Daisies, shares her experience and tips for care after death at home. Kate has experience of caring for family members at home after death and also brings her expertise as a nurse. She reminds us: “caring for someone at home after death isn’t anything new, rather it’s a […]
End of life care experience: survey
Do you have end of life care experience? Can you help with a new survey? The Co-Care project is trying to understand how volunteers can provide support for family caregivers at home.
5 Simple Steps to Joie de Vivre
At Final Fling we advocate living life to the full… with a spirit of joie de vivre. That’s what this is all about really… sorting out your affairs so you can get on with living your life. I’ve had two connections this week that reassure me that what we’re doing is indeed valuable.
Being mortal
This week, Sara Sheehan, producer, talks with us about her new film documentary “Mortal”. There are free online screenings of the film from today until 25 April. We love the look of it.
Sara tells us:
“We began filming our documentary “Mortal” when it was apparent that my father was failing. My mother was faced with an overwhelming amount of decisions to make and they all felt as if they were of life and death importance.”