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.
There is no such thing as dying with dignity
ReplyDeleteAgreed 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.
ReplyDeleteBTW Steve, link goes back to your blog.
Sorry - link fixed.
ReplyDelete