The good in all the Terri Schiavo hoopla is bringing the topic of Death to the forefront. We all know it’s going to happen, but no one likes to talk about it. If anyone has had a brush with death it is easier. If one has received a death sentence, it is easier.
If after all this Terri Schiavo debate you still don’t have a living will or your dying wish on paper, that will be the real horror of all this.
We are being presented with one of life’s lessons-Prepare For Your Death so your family doesn’t suffer more than they have to.
I was given a 5 to 7 years diagnosis back in 1991. So I began to prepare. I took stock of my life. Thought about all the stuff I wanted to do but had not yet accomplished. Thought about my daughter and how she would deal with it. Thought about how it would affect my parents should they out live me. I thought about death period. I read several books: How We Die, Final Gifts, Life After Death etc., etc.
I went through Hospice Training and did some volunteering. My daughter went through the program with me. This was a very uplifting experience, for both of us. Hospice is an excellent organization that seems to attract the best of us.
I took my daughter and parents to a Living Will seminar and we all signed one. I encouraged my parents to make their wishes known, get their cemetary plots etc., something they hadn’t done before they retired.
We talked about creamation options. I’ve already paid for that service ahead of time.
This was not that negative of a situation. We had many laughs at deaths expense. My daughter asked what she should do if she ever dropped the urn with my ashes. I told her to vaccuum…But I’d rather she spread my ashes on Cape Hatteras. My daughter also gave me a hot air balloon ride for my 50th birthday which was the one thing I hadn’t done that I wanted to do. It was glorious!
Death should be a celebration, like birth. It’s just part of our human experience and we all have to go through it. Death should not be feared. The big question is Why do we fear death?
So regardless of our fear, just prepare for it. No one should ever have to go through this public fiasco that Terri’s family is going through.
