We are all captive to death - to transitions in and out of this world, and we are forever trying to understand what mysteries lie beyond the veil. This is what makes Kathleen Westberg's Dying is Weird: A Journey of Enlightenment such a compelling, humble and beautifully authentic book. Kathleen's life story and her encounters with death take us to the edge of this veil where we can sense some of the truth and wonder and mystery of what connects us to the afterlife and the feeling that our loved ones are still with us, beyond the limits of physical perception. Kathleen's journey is a journey through time, generations, unseen dimensions and unfamiliar learning that defies our social expectations and comfort zones in refreshing ways. Dying is Weird: A Journey of Enlightenment is a tapestry of varied features that represents many things; a family and its turn of the century Catholic immigrant roots, the life spans of mother-daughter and father-daughter relationships, a story of growing up in the stoic atmosphere of rural Wisconsin, America's Heartland; a story about encountering death at an early age and a continual search for answers. In loving and often humorous conversational voice, Kathleen introduces us to her grandparents, her mother and father, her brothers, sisters and cousins and the tenderhearted feelings that are evoked as their lives unfold and at times she has to face their death. But these experiences awaken a quest for meaning and answers, leading this down-to-earth Midwestern woman to find books, classes, mentors and doorways into unfamiliar concepts like clairvoyance, astral projection, reincarnation, the Akashic records, massage, healing touch and meditation. Despite resistance from her family and friends, Kathleen feels drawn to explore worlds that test her understanding and beliefs, and in the process, her life is enriched immeasurably. Kathleen experiences premonitions, has visits from her dead mother and brother, assists her father in his transition and also experiences his presence after he dies. As she grows in her awareness and understanding, Kathleen also touches the hearts of her family and the staff and patients in the medical clinic where she works. Kathleen's book has an extraordinary impact in the disguise of seemingly ordinary relationships and events of time. It brings to mind a quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer: "Remind yourself that God created you in perfect love that is changeless and eternal. Your body is changing, as is your mind, so you are not that body or that mind. You were created as a spirit that is pure love." Through Kathleen telling her story, our lives are enriched, too. We see the love and humanity of life, death and family ties, and the potential to grasp our relations with our love ones beyond time and space and the transition of what is called, "death." This makes us more fully alive. James Ainsworth Denver, Colorado January 7, 2015