Old age
Tante Tini is old.
Next week she will celebrate her 91st birthday. She had a bad fall and very bad care last year and has been bedridden since then. Her mind is good but the processing is slow. Plus there is a significant hearing loss that she has to deal with that is exacerbated when the batteries in her hearing aides need changing. Her short term memory is also going. Life is difficult yet she does not complain.
Last year we thought she was going to die. She was suffering. Her sister suggested that she should just let the Lord take her home. Tini replied "maybe after my birthday" ! She wanted to celebrate 90 and she did.
Last week one of her oldest friends passed away after falling and getting pneumonia. I think it shocked Tini. She now wants the Lord to take her home.
She is old.
She is old, immobile, very hard of hearing, and totally dependant on others for her wellbeing. Life sucks and yet, she makes the best of things.
I don't think I would or could be so gracious. I'm starting to think that euthanasia is okay. I don't think society should be given the power to say that at a particular age, old people should die and make it so. I am thinking that it might be okay for an individual that is suffering the indignities of old age could say they want to die but not because they feel they are burden but because life is done- Unable to physically or mentally participate in life any longer.
As I write this I can think of all the difficulties with allowing euthanasia. Only God can decide when a person should die.
I'm just thinking selfishly. I don't want to get that old. I don't want to spend my last days in a bed or in a wheel chair. I don't want to be so totally out of control of my life, my days, my hours, my minutes. I guess even at the end of our days we can learn something about humility, graciousness, patience and love. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
Last year we thought she was going to die. She was suffering. Her sister suggested that she should just let the Lord take her home. Tini replied "maybe after my birthday" ! She wanted to celebrate 90 and she did.
Last week one of her oldest friends passed away after falling and getting pneumonia. I think it shocked Tini. She now wants the Lord to take her home.
She is old.
She is old, immobile, very hard of hearing, and totally dependant on others for her wellbeing. Life sucks and yet, she makes the best of things.
I don't think I would or could be so gracious. I'm starting to think that euthanasia is okay. I don't think society should be given the power to say that at a particular age, old people should die and make it so. I am thinking that it might be okay for an individual that is suffering the indignities of old age could say they want to die but not because they feel they are burden but because life is done- Unable to physically or mentally participate in life any longer.
As I write this I can think of all the difficulties with allowing euthanasia. Only God can decide when a person should die.
I'm just thinking selfishly. I don't want to get that old. I don't want to spend my last days in a bed or in a wheel chair. I don't want to be so totally out of control of my life, my days, my hours, my minutes. I guess even at the end of our days we can learn something about humility, graciousness, patience and love. Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
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