The pain of that experience with her mother led E.J. to listen to and comfort many of the dying people she met through her work as an art therapist in institutions, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. She found that the art helped open up the dying patients to express their three common fears:

Am I going to suffer?

Will I be alone?

Did my life mean something?

Pondering these questions and being willing to answer them herself led E.J. to experience these answers herself:

Suffering is not an inevitable part of life.

We are all in this together.

Questions are central to life. Living has meaning if we are asking.

Through this five year journey, E.J. tells of how she learned about living from the dying. She also shares how her circle of care expanded to meet the needs of her own son Ben, whose tragic brokenness taught her the most.

About the Author

E.J. Cockey is a motivational speaker in the Baltimore area who has dedicated her life to enhancing the personal and mental development of others. For more than ten years, she helped the fight against Alzheimer’s disease through innovative forms of art therapy, working closely with the Alzheimer’s Foundation and consulting for retirement communities. She holds degrees in art and psychology, as well as a master’s in art therapy.

To order Drawn from Memory: A Personal Story of Healing Through Art,
visit the author's website.