Death! We all know that it is our inevitable destiny but as long as we know that it is going to be on some day and not today, do we really do anything about it?
Since time immemorial, many wise people have told us, in various ways, to live each day as though it is our last to make the most of our lives. But do we really get the true essence of it?
Do we enjoy whatever life has given us, while it lasts, as we know that we are going to lose it all someday; or do we hoard as many possessions as we can and live in a constant fear of losing them?
Do we love our closed ones just the way they are, as we know that we have come into this world alone and will leave alone too; or do we try to control them with our demands and expectations?
Do we seek the bliss in any act in the act itself, as we know that our actions are the only things that are remembered when we are gone; or do we have a mindset of “What’s in it for me?” in every task we do?
Death, when it arrives, tells us what the right thing to do was in all those situations, but no matter when it comes in our lives we are never truly ready for it and we will most certainly wish we had more time.
To some people, death comes all of a sudden and even before they know it, they have left us. And to some people, it comes with a prior notice, reminding them every day, that the end is now not far away.
Terminal illness is such a case where there is no hope for the person’s cure and death is just around the corner. It is painful and gets worse with each passing day. Each person reacts differently to the news of carrying a terminal illness ranging from disbelief to anger to depression.
In such times of distress, a person needs help in realizing that death is not an event but a process. Support is required in moving them from whatever stage of reaction they are in to a stage of acceptance as only acceptance of any situation can make the situation smaller than what they are truly capable of.
This month I would like to donate 20£ to the charity Marie Curie Cancer Care. This is a charity in the UK which helps patients live the best possible lives they can in those last days. They have hospices where the patients can get admitted to and be taken care of. They also provide registered nurses and health care professionals for home care. Services like alleviating physical pain, emergency help in situations like difficulty breathing etc, counseling support to the patient and family, integrating spiritual belief to help cope with the situation are all provided free of charge to such people. They probably cannot increase the quantity of a person’s life, but they most certainly help increase the quality of the person’s life
Link to the charity website
Link to the online donation link
