About the Book
"For a culture that finds it difficult to talk about the end of life, Before All Is Said and Done is the roadmap we all need to navigate the practicalities of death while experiencing shock, loss, and grief." --Lee Woodruff, NYT Bestselling author
The notion of planning for one's death is intrinsically at odds with our human instinct to avoid considering our own mortality. Although we may contemplate the grief that our life's impermanence would cause to our loved ones, we seldom consider the myriad of emotional and legal issues that can arise afterward.
Before All Is Said and Done begins with the experience of author Pat Miles Zimmerman and her husband, Charles "Bucky" Zimmerman. Pat and Bucky were fully set for life but, regrettably, not set for death. After Bucky's death from an abrupt and short illness, Pat found herself with a plate full of unanticipated emotions, decisions, and legal problems.
But, as she spoke with other widows, she learned she was not alone in finding herself adrift after losing a spouse. The shock and grief that erupt from such a loss do not create a state of mind fit for navigating the numerous challenges that follow an unexpected death.
Pat Miles Zimmerman will prepare us for the oft-ignored problems that run in tandem with somber situations:
The shock of loss and what to expect
Facing a potential cognitive decline
Finding support and healthy grieving
Family disputes and blended family issues
Caring for yourself after the loss
Although we may initially shirk away from the notion of our life's transience, it is powerfully beneficial to ready ourselves and our loved ones for every stage of life -- and death. Before All Is Said and Done weaves the definitive path on how to be set for both.
About the Author :
PAT MILES ZIMMERMAN, Esteemed for her professionalism by viewers, listeners, and her colleagues, the versatile Pat Miles became one of the Minneapolis region's premier television news anchors and radio talk hosts. After earning her master's degree in journalism at the University of Missouri, Miles worked in both radio and television news in Colorado before joining WCCO TV in 1978 as a reporter and weekend anchor. Her intelligent reporting and authoritative delivery soon brought her to the anchor desk of WCCO's 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM newscasts. She covered every major news event for WCCO TV but was most proud of A Time to Weep, her documentary on the famine in Africa. In 1990, she moved to KARE TV, where she anchored the 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM newscasts and developed A Pat Miles Special, using her writing and interviewing prowess to tell the stories of notable Minnesotans. When she left TV news in 2001, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming the host of The Pat Miles Show weekday mornings on WCCO Radio. A role model for women in the industry, she has received numerous honors for her work in broadcasting and in the community, including the National Television Academy's Silver Circle Award. SUZANNE SPARROW WATSON earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and English Literature. She began her career working for a real estate development company in Fair Oaks, California, writing and designing advertising campaigns. After returning to her native San Francisco Bay Area, she entered the human resources field, working for a commercial insurance company. She was eventually recruited by Bank of America to develop management training programs. Over an eighteen-year career with the bank, she held increasingly responsible positions supporting a wide range of the bank's businesses. She retired in 2002 as Executive Vice President of Human Resources for the Consumer Bank. In 2004, she wrote her first book, In the Enemy's Camp. The book weaves together historical events with the experience of her husband and his family, who endured three and a half years as prisoners in a Japanese internment camp in the Philippines during World War II. In 2012, she began writing the blog, From a Bird's Eye View, which she co-authors with her brother, Bob. Every Monday, they post a short essay about travel, life's little observations, or anything that strikes their fancy -- other than politics.
Review :
"As a former lawyer and judge, I had neither thought about nor been intimidated by end-of-life financial issues. But Before All Is Said and Done paints vividly the difficult realities my wife could encounter should I pass first. The book's read, and the understandably difficult discussions with your spouse and others, are musts for married couples."
-- "Rick Solum, Hennepin County Judge"
"For a culture that finds it difficult to talk about the end of life, Before All Is Said and Done is the roadmap we all need to navigate the practicalities of death while experiencing shock, loss, and grief."
-- "Lee Woodruff, NYT Bestselling Author"
"Preparing for and navigating the wealth management challenges of losing a spouse is a critically important topic not adequately addressed by the financial industry. Pat Miles does us all a service in tackling this head-on in her honest, moving, and compelling personal narrative."
-- "John Taft, Vice Chair of Baird and Author of Stewardship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street and A Force for Good: How Enlightened Finance Can Restore Faith in Capitalism"
"The most beautiful, raw, and sacred deaths I've witnessed are those in which the patient's wishes are carried out, it allows them to die with integrity instead of despair. In a culture that tends to avoid the topic of death, this timely book offers invaluable guidance, advice, and gems of wisdom from those who have already 'Walked Each other Home.'"
-- "Pam Sime, Hospice Nursing Assistant"
"This a great book that all people in long term relationships must read. A fine reporter applies journalistic fact-finding to alert those of us who miss dotting the i and crossing the t won't have to suffer if we follow the map her own experience has drawn."
-- "Don Shelby, Former news anchor, CBS"
"Through Pat's personal experience with many of these issues, she has compiled an extremely insightful and empathic view of the role of the caregiver. I think this is a must-read for persons and families with loved ones experiencing cognitive challenges."
-- "Ronald Petersen, PhD, MD, Director, Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging"
"When you want the best advice, you go to the smartest people you know. Pat Miles is one of those people, and her story puts her in a unique position to offer honest, practical, and compassionate advice. This book is a blessing for survivors navigating the toughest days of their lives."
-- "Harvey Mackay, NYT #1 Bestselling Author of Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive"
