Dying Well

Thank you for posting this and for each person who has answered with various links and support. People often tell me that I'm talking about death too much and have heard various family members ask me repeatedly not to do that as it's hastening it along. One thing I've learned through life though is that death is a part of our lives and I tend to face things head on. The one thing I dread is the physical pain of it but yet am fascinated about how our souls leave our bodies to get to Heaven. Hope that makes sense. It seems like a great mystery that will be solved for me and I love learning. It's wonderful to love life and enjoy every day, even those leading to death. Each day holds something in it to learn, to experience and to share with others. My dad once told me that he always wanted to get old and when he did that no one would listen to him but they just thought he was just an old man. So, he said he had also this experience and wisdom to share but no one would listen. Sad, but our world is truly that way. I hope that you find many who want to share your joy along the path of life, and death. Share with us all that you wish as we will grow and learn from your experiences. Have a blessed and happy day.

Thank you for your deeply provocative post. I recently lost my husband and feel that one of the gifts he left me was the time and opportunity to prepare for my own death. May this conversation continue.

I am 77. None of my family or extended family were overtly religious. I am not even sure that God exists for us as members of humanity. There is no way to explain the universe so God may have created it, however whether he has any interest in us as individuals I find hard to believe. Essentially I believe that dead is dead. Our hopes for reunion with loved ones is a lovely sentiment and I wish it were true. Maybe it is.

I am 90 years old. So in a sense you could say I am dying, except I am not. I am in remarkably good health. I show no signs of dementia. I am not in pain. I do not need to take drugs. I am able to live independently and I can drive - even on the freeways. But let's face it. How many more years do I have left? For me it is not the dying, it is not knowing how long a future I may have.

This touched me--thank you @rtw. My first husband died after surgery when he was 36. That was thirty years ago. His death did help me prepare for mine--he was a cheerful curious person, stoic about pain, and generally unworried. I did wish he'd talked more about how he felt--and asked me too. So I've been very direct with my second husband on the subjects of illness and death. I continue to learn from my first husband through memory, journaling, and being with our now grown daughter. Am thinking of you.

Ditto- at 78 and getting more crippled fast it now seems , don’t know how close I am. But not afraid - tired of pain frankly but love being alive. My family finds my thoughts ‘morbid ‘ - not! Anyway - interesting topic

I embrace one day I will die, I wake up with a song in my heart, I love everyone, forgive all who has hurt me.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
After learning the bible, I know the plan God has for us. it is so much more than being born, having problems,growing old and Die.
I pray for a listening ear.
about our soul and spirit.
It will live again,

I feel that this moment is the only life I'll ever have.
The "me" of yesterday or twenty years ago is gone, absent.
So, while I may not have been aware of it, I have been constantly dying away.
Every blade of grass is, in its way, momentarily significant, and so am I.
And eventually our moments are gone.
We won't be worrying about it then and perhaps we can best not worry about it now.
This could be my last moment! I don't want to miss it!

Denise,
I'm so sorry to hear of your Dad dying. I'm sure that's hard for you. It's very hard when we lose loved ones. My husband died last July. However, your Dad and my husband are both up in Heaven and out of pain. We will be with them eventually when God decides. That thought can keep us going until then.

Prayers also help. God is always there to listen and answer prayers. I will say a prayer for you that this hard time gets easier to bear.

I wish you the best.
PML

Thank you for the info, Ginger. I will check it out.