Sunday, November 22, 2009

End Of Life Is Inevitable, But There Are Lots Of Ways To Look At It




My friend's son died last week. He was only 43 and his death was unexpected and a dreadful shock. My friend is a woman with strong faith and she has firm beliefs regarding the spiritual aspects of death. Our conversations after her son's death and my thinking  and reading this week were more about  how we think about the end of life, both that of a loved one and our own. Talking about the end of a life is not fun or popular, but it is inevitably talked and written about, even sometimes with humor.

Life does not cease to be funny when people die
any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
 George Bernard Shaw

Grief can't be shared. Everyone carries it alone,
his own burden, his own way.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Health nuts are going to feel silly someday,
lying in  hospitals dying of nothing
Redd Foxx

A man's dying is more the survivors affair than his own.
Thomas Mann

They say such nice things about people at their funerals
that it makes me  sad to realize that
I'm going to miss mine by just a few days.
Garrison Keillor

.....grief makes an hour ten.
William Shakespeare

Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.
Joe Lewis

We all have to die someday if we live long enough.
Dave Farber

And for bloggers

If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live,
 I wouldn't brood. I'd type faster.
Isaac Asimov

8 comments:

  1. Wonderful poignant post, Jeanie. It calms me to read those quotes, for losing someone special in my life frightens me so.

    My heart goes out to your friend. I shall send up a little prayer for her comfort and healing.

    XO

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  2. My heart goes out to your friend. The loss of a child must weigh heavy on a mamas heart. I will pray peace and sweet rest for your friend. I loved your quotes and the fact that we can have laughter through the hard times also.

    Have a blessed day and hugs to your friend!!!

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  3. That last one was so good! :)
    But yes, that must have been such a shock! I´m so sorry for your friend! Was her son saved? I´m sure it would make it easier knowing he was.
    My sympathies go out to her!

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  4. my heart and thoughts go out to your friend and her family....


    and that last one is so true...

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  5. I have read many posts about the loss of someone, and have left comments of support, yet I took on a kind of bummed out feeling.

    I don't feel that way this time.

    I am sorry for your friends loss. I hope their family will heal quickly.

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  6. I have read many posts about the loss of someone, and have left comments of support, yet I took on a kind of bummed out feeling.

    I don't feel that way this time.

    I am sorry for your friends loss. I hope their family will heal quickly.

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  7. Thanks for this very meaningful post, Jeanie. My dear cousin (like an older brother) died unexpectedly at the end of last month after fairly routine knee replacement surgery. His wife and 95-year-old mom are still in shock, and I can't seem to wrap my mind around it either.

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