This summer I read the book, Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. I read it on the recommendation of my librarian, Joan after I returned the Moyes book, One Plus One. She told me if I liked that Moyes novel, I would LOVE Me Before You.
Joanie warned me it was sad; but not because of a horrible incident (a la Nicholas Sparks, let's say). I was to report back to both she and Lynn (another librarian) on what I thought.
It stays with you.
I have the reading retention rate of a gnat, and yet, the book haunted me in that it asked me to ask myself hard and painful questions about my feelings on death with dignity, something I had not really given a whole lot of thought to.
I thought about myself. I thought about my kids. I thought about other people I loved. And I realized I didn't really have a concrete answer because I am not in that position.
In early October, the story of Brittany Maynard surfaced. A young woman given a devastating death sentence just after New Year's Day this year.
Joanie warned me it was sad; but not because of a horrible incident (a la Nicholas Sparks, let's say). I was to report back to both she and Lynn (another librarian) on what I thought.
It stays with you.
I have the reading retention rate of a gnat, and yet, the book haunted me in that it asked me to ask myself hard and painful questions about my feelings on death with dignity, something I had not really given a whole lot of thought to.
I thought about myself. I thought about my kids. I thought about other people I loved. And I realized I didn't really have a concrete answer because I am not in that position.
In early October, the story of Brittany Maynard surfaced. A young woman given a devastating death sentence just after New Year's Day this year.
Brittany's story is compelling and heartbreaking and no one else's but hers.
Therefore it became fodder for anyone and everyone on every side of the fence to weigh in. Thankfully on the two videos Brittany posted via the website Compassion and Choices the comments sections were disabled. I shudder to think what the comments would be.
I followed Brittany's story because it followed on the heels of my reading the book. I followed it because it is something that now captures my attention. I followed it because she is so very beautiful and so very sick.
It is the story of a 29 year old being told she WILL die and it will be ugly. It will be painful. Her life will cease to be in her own control.
If we are lucky, we are born into the world surrounded by love.
If we are lucky, we die surrounded by love.
I do not know one person who WANTS to die. I know people who have been diagnosed with diseases that make it happen faster than a "normal" lifespan. And so far, to the best of my knowledge, everyone was able to die the way they wanted to.
But what IF they wanted to chose their death date.
A reverse scheduled C-Section if you will.
How very fortunate we live in a world where such a thing is possible. Where the amount of suffering you are going to have is limited to the amount of time you can stand it and not prolonged.
I like that option.
Our animals are given that kind of treatment.
Why not our humans?
Therefore it became fodder for anyone and everyone on every side of the fence to weigh in. Thankfully on the two videos Brittany posted via the website Compassion and Choices the comments sections were disabled. I shudder to think what the comments would be.
I followed Brittany's story because it followed on the heels of my reading the book. I followed it because it is something that now captures my attention. I followed it because she is so very beautiful and so very sick.
It is the story of a 29 year old being told she WILL die and it will be ugly. It will be painful. Her life will cease to be in her own control.
If we are lucky, we are born into the world surrounded by love.
If we are lucky, we die surrounded by love.
I do not know one person who WANTS to die. I know people who have been diagnosed with diseases that make it happen faster than a "normal" lifespan. And so far, to the best of my knowledge, everyone was able to die the way they wanted to.
But what IF they wanted to chose their death date.
A reverse scheduled C-Section if you will.
How very fortunate we live in a world where such a thing is possible. Where the amount of suffering you are going to have is limited to the amount of time you can stand it and not prolonged.
I like that option.
Our animals are given that kind of treatment.
Why not our humans?
Yesterday, Brittany chose to end her life. People are calling it suicide. People are calling it assisted suicide. People are clamoring to be heard on why it is such a bad idea. Equal amounts of people are yelling to be heard on why it is such a good idea.
I haven't walked in Brittany's shoes.
It's not my story.
With that said though, I came into this world naked and screaming. Why not leave it naked and dreaming?
xo
I haven't walked in Brittany's shoes.
It's not my story.
With that said though, I came into this world naked and screaming. Why not leave it naked and dreaming?
xo
