M S W Mary Artino

Lessons on Loss Not Taught M S W Mary Artino

Mary Artino is a medical social worker with a fifteen-year career in hospice. She feels that loss is a subject that isn't addressed often enough in American culture and that much more can be done to begin teaching children about loss and death. This book is a collection of short stories that begins with her own experiences with death and loss within her family. She describes the lessons learned from her father and grandmother that prepared her to recognize grace in the dying process. The middle section is comprised of stories exploring loss, grace, and meaning during circumstances that are challenging. She concludes with stories of her hospice patients and how they and their families educated her on unexpected and often comforting aspects of life and death. The author believes that death is one of our most profound teachers. In writing "Lessons on Loss Not Taught," Mary hopes to demystify the end-of-life experience, making it less foreboding and more relatable.