Death and the Process of Dying

Reader Contribution by Shawn Hosford
article image

As I get older and closer to the end of my life, I watch friends around me entering the same phase. I am incredibly grateful for the years I have lived and don’t take this gift lightly.

I am getting more closely acquainted with the process of dying as I watch some around me in the throes of that process. While observing, I am noticing how little we speak about death and how uncomfortable we are with the topic in general. It seems to fall under the controversially taboo category with politics, sex, religion, and income. Perhaps it’s time we start talking about these subjects. Honesty, transparency, and ownership will need to guide these conversations if they are to have any effect. One way to start talking about death is acknowledgement. “No one is getting out of here alive, so . . .” I begin to think about the hard facts of these difficult subjects and then connect them to my more personal feelings and goals.

Recently I have watched three different people in the process of exiting our planet due to vastly different conditions and with completely contrasting attitudes. Two have passed. Watching these people go (and in the process of going) has helped me to understand a variety of choices we can be fortunate to face when nearing our end.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368