Die as you live.
After asking a lot of questions of one of the hospice nurses the other day, she finally directed me to a pamphlet that I could read if I was interested. It is called "What do Expect as a Loved One's Death Draws Near". I opened the little booklet and the first phrase that popped out at me was this:
"Dying is a unique process. How one dies often echoes how one has lived"
I think this message is supposed to be for for those who have a loved one dying (as the title of the pamphlet suggests). It is important for them to expect many of the same personality traits in death as was existing in life. If someone loves being surrounded by family, enjoys music or humor, they will want these things in their last days. For those who prefer to hide their pain and suffering, they may not want ever present guests at their bedside. Worriers in life will likely be worriers in death, complainers in life - complainers in death, strong and brave in life - the same in death.
I didn't initially read the pamphlet and understand that this statement was directed to those who are living about those who are dying. I interpreted it a little different.
My first thought was that it was speaking to the one dying. As in "be careful how you live because that is how you are going to die".
I think my interpretation could be correct to, though not the point of the pamphlet.
Maybe if you are full of life, love, joy and peace, your death will echo that. If you are angry, conflicted, and nasty then your death will be that way too. I'm not suggesting that if you are a good person your death will be painless, but I wonder if through the pain and fear of death a person who has always found joy and peace in their life with also find it in their death. Those who are calm in life will have a "calm" death, those who are embattled in life with have a battle with death.
If my supposition is true, I'm going to have a really awesomely exciting death because my life is pretty fun. Or maybe it will be spontaneous - I'm spontaneous. I hope I laugh and cry, I hope I say ridiculously funny things whether on purpose or just because I lost my mind- because that too is how I live my life. I do hope my death echoes my life...and I hope that for most of the people I know as well.
Live well, die well. Is that a bumper sticker?
"Dying is a unique process. How one dies often echoes how one has lived"
I think this message is supposed to be for for those who have a loved one dying (as the title of the pamphlet suggests). It is important for them to expect many of the same personality traits in death as was existing in life. If someone loves being surrounded by family, enjoys music or humor, they will want these things in their last days. For those who prefer to hide their pain and suffering, they may not want ever present guests at their bedside. Worriers in life will likely be worriers in death, complainers in life - complainers in death, strong and brave in life - the same in death.
I didn't initially read the pamphlet and understand that this statement was directed to those who are living about those who are dying. I interpreted it a little different.
My first thought was that it was speaking to the one dying. As in "be careful how you live because that is how you are going to die".
I think my interpretation could be correct to, though not the point of the pamphlet.
Maybe if you are full of life, love, joy and peace, your death will echo that. If you are angry, conflicted, and nasty then your death will be that way too. I'm not suggesting that if you are a good person your death will be painless, but I wonder if through the pain and fear of death a person who has always found joy and peace in their life with also find it in their death. Those who are calm in life will have a "calm" death, those who are embattled in life with have a battle with death.
If my supposition is true, I'm going to have a really awesomely exciting death because my life is pretty fun. Or maybe it will be spontaneous - I'm spontaneous. I hope I laugh and cry, I hope I say ridiculously funny things whether on purpose or just because I lost my mind- because that too is how I live my life. I do hope my death echoes my life...and I hope that for most of the people I know as well.
Live well, die well. Is that a bumper sticker?
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