Thoughts on Death and Dying
Thinking about death has always been something that makes me uncomfortable. I used to think that these uneasy feelings surrounding death were “normal”. However, the more I think about it, and talk about it, the more I think my feelings are influenced by the culture and society I live in. Death is not something that has been openly discussed in my life and is not something I have had much experience with. When deciding to embark on a career in healthcare I was nervous and curious to see how my thoughts surrounding death would develop. I knew I would be more readily putting myself in situations where I would be exposed to dying and death and I felt this might be really good for my personal development. Death is something everyone will have to go through at some point. I feel gaining comfort with death and dying most likely makes you more able to help not only others through the process but to help yourself when the time comes.
I’ve had limited conversations with family members and friends surrounding death. I feel confident in my parents and significant other that they know me well enough to make a decision I would be happy with if something were to happen. However, I think it is important we have more conversations to better understand each other and what we would want. Hopefully clarifying our thoughts would make things easier for those having to make the decisions if something were to happen. I love that there are organizations such as Death Over Dinner encouraging individuals to talk more openly about death.
If I am ever put in the position to influence some of the events surrounding my death there are a few things I would focus on. I would want to ensure the “important things” are incorporated into the end of my life. To me this is spending my final moments with loved ones. I would want to surround myself with family, friends, and animals that I love. It would also be important to me to be in a place that I am comfortable with. For me this would most likely be being at home and being outside as much as possible. I would love to be able to make a final visit to the mountains and the ocean not only for myself but also to bring my loved ones on a final adventure together to remind them of the things that matter most.
