I Think About Death and Dying

I have given thought to death and dying, it isn't a taboo subject for me. It never has been. My birthday falls on The Day of the Dead, and it serves to remind me that death is part of life. It can be ugly, and painful, but it can also be beautiful in some ways, and even healing. I volunteered with hospice for a while, and as such, if the client wanted to discuss death or dying with us, we were to encourage them, as it's something many can't talk about, and don't have a sympathetic and empathetic ear to listen when they DO want to discuss it.

I have contemplated my mortality, tried to end it more times than I care to say, but those days are behind me. However, I still do think about my eventual death, and how I want things handled, even what I want engraved on my urn; "I came, I saw, I laughed!"

I don't encourage thoughts of suicide by any manner, but I do wish more people were open about death and dying. When my aunt passed this year it threw her family into turmoil because their mom refused to discuss those kinds of topics, so they had to guess as to what her wishes were. I wish this on no one.