An essay by a doctor in the New York Times seems pretty wise on the matter of how we should feel about the question of whether a dying person is "ready to die". This paragraph stood out to me:
We want neatness and containment, not the spill of grief.
But death is never neat. A good death should be defined by how well and honestly we care for the dying, not by their performance on our behalf. Expecting them to make death a process full of insight and peace only limits our full emotional and spiritual participation in their death. By sacrificing neatness, we can have a conversation about what the dying truly need from us. Understanding their authentic experiences helps us not only to see them more fully but also to prepare, together, for losing them.
3 comments:
There is no such thing as dying with dignity
Agreed Trampis. A good death is an instant death, like being hit by a bus. Today that rarely happens. We stretch out dying so much some people are ready to die because they have suffered so much death is a release.
BTW Steve, link goes back to your blog.
Sorry - link fixed.
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