Dying

I've been thinking a lot about dying. My grandfather passed away on Thursday and we held a graveside service yesterday. Grandpa was 86 and very ready to die. He had been in poor health for years. A week before his death, he decided that was enough of hospitals and doctors. So, he was discharged from the hospital and entered into hospice care. Six days later, after seeing each of his sons, he died peacefully with his wife of 59 years by his side.

Modern medicine has taken some of the dignity out of dying. Grandpa had undergone three by-pass surgeries. They gave him more years to be sure. But the last 2 years of his life were humiliating in many ways. I wonder if there is something to be said for living fewer years with all of our pride in place? Grandpa was a humble man from the beginning. I can't imagine that pride was a strong motivator for him in any area of life. However, he was embarrassed in his last years by his inability to do even the most mundane things for himself.

LIFE. Death is a part of it. But, living should be the most of it! Life should be a plate full of rich food. Sweet and bitter, each relationship and moment brings more fullness to the flavor of another.

I don't really have a point today. I'm just meandering in thought on the questions and fears that plague all of humanity. What about you?