The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments

by Hadley Vlahos

I reminded myself to live for today, not the fears of tomorrow—a promise I had made to myself when I started working in hospice.

“The surge of energy almost everyone gets before dying,” he said, as if this was a well-known medical fact. I now know that the surge is a common occurrence. Often, loved ones who witness it think that the patient is somehow miraculously in the process of recovering. But to those in the know, it’s a sign that death is imminent and will likely occur within the next few days.

I am continually amazed at how life just continues on as usual, despite the tragedy that exists all around us.