Say it now

My father was in a hospice facility the last few days of his life. His wife of 65 years, my mother, was by his side. My two siblings and I were by his side as were my sister's husband and children and my three sons, my daughters-in-law and grandchildren. We had a few days to say goodbyes and "I love yous" and anything else we needed to say. We sang, we cried, we laughed, we read, and we prayed. We all said what a good death Dad had. We were so grateful for that time together.

We don't always have that opportunity to say those things at the time of death, however. So why not say them now when we're living and our loved ones are still alive? Don't wait. Dr. Ira Byock, an international leader in palliative care, recommends saying 11 powerful words regularly to those you love. It will bring them peace, healing and a deep feeling of being loved; and it's guaranteed to do the same for you.

Here are the simple 11 words he says are important to convey:

Please forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you. I love you.

Go ahead—start today.