This web site represents a comprehensive collection of Internet resources with a holistic perspective - one that is truly helpful to anyone pursuing a wider vision and understanding of the normal death process. It is geared toward death as "natural" and expected for all living beings.

Death is an inevitable part of life. As we are born, we eventually die. An interest in death is not morbid curiosity but a sincere quest to know more about our final hours and afterwards. There is a common saying, "No one has gotten out of this world alive!" Our philosphical, social, cultural or spiritual beliefs have an impact on how we think about death. These resources should lead you toward a broader perspective.

In over twenty years as a nurse, I have held the hands of many people when they died, and have helped families cope with the event. Working in the Emergency Department, I saw patients who experienced both sudden and expected deaths, and watched the impact on family and friends. As a nursing supervisor, I was responsible for the morgue area and watched many autopsies performed. These experiences are a part of the nursing profession, and I don't see myself as special in that regard. I have had significant deaths in my life including close family and friends and pets. I have life experience with death plus the ability to contemplate and discuss death freely.

I am not a "death expert" -- that is, I have no special degrees in death education or counseling. I do have a diverse background in nursing plus some skill with computers and web surfing, the results of which I share with you at this website. This is NOT a commercial site. It is a personal and free gift to everyone who visits it.

This website started quite simply as sharing personal links to help others and in a small way to pay back a world that has been kind to me. Due to popularity, it has grown into a larger resource. As of June 1997, I have had well over 60,000 visitors.

At the time this site was started a large number of web sites I visited were strongly geared toward euthanasia or focused on the macabre side of death. I wanted to offer an alternative. My plan was and continues to be -- to help others explore their feelings about natural death.

If you have recently experienced the death of a loved one or may in the near future, and are having problems coping or need help with information about the dying process, I highly recommend you check for hospice organizations in your area. Hospice nurses and related organizations usually have a collection of materials on the topic and can perhaps suggest appropriate local counseling resources if needed.

For the rare person who is visiting this site because you are seriously depressed and are having thoughts of suicide or worthlessness, please disconnect from the Internet and call a Suicide Crisis line. This phone number is usually listed in the front of your phone book. Get help. All life is precious, including yours.

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You will see this checkmark throughout my pages. This is the only way I have to thank those who have supported my efforts by providing a link to this site from theirs. If you found this website helpful to you in your search for understanding, I encourage you to visit my Internet friends too!