The older I get, the less “fun” Christmas gets, and the more bittersweet.
I have a friend who has a family member who is dying. Barring a literal miracle (they have stopped all medical treatment), this is his last Christmas. I wonder what it feels like to know that this is your final Christmas. Or your final birthday. Or your final anniversary.
Thankfully the vast majority of us will go into our last Christmas blissfully ignorant of the fact that this is it, folks. No more Christmas for you, pal. But what about the small number who know? Will this year be the sweetest? Certainly it will be the most painful. But can it also be the best in some way? Appreciated at a higher, more intense level than any “normal” Christmas? Will the whole family grab onto the occasion with a newfound passion? I can seeing trying too hard to make it memorable, out of desperation, knowing full well that it can’t help but be memorable, either in a positive or negative way.
What do you buy for someone who is dying? You have to buy something. But it seems futile, and if the person says they don’t want or need anything, of course they are right, but, god, they aren’t dead yet and this is the last chance to buy them a gift. What a crazy sad situation.
6 comments:
this is so sad
I wonder what the person who is dying wants? to make things memorable or just go on as normal? I don't know what I'd want
I just heard this aft that he's gone back into hospital. It's looking grim indeed.
Its difficult to know what to say isn't it? I think I'd prefer not to know that it was my last anything, but we never have control over these things do we? (Unless you commit suicide - I know 2 people who did that this year).
However, I agree with Rattansifan - I'd throw caution to the wind and do whatever I wanted, if I could.
Well, I saw a guy on NBC news last night who is 45 years old and has Alzheimers.
Suicide? Believe me, if that was me I'd be looking for a gun, and I'm against guns!!
I think its one of those things you don't know how you would feel until its actually you - in all that pain, no future, for some, death would be a blessing I would think.
I know the survival instinct is strong, but I think a terminal illness is different.
One person I knew this year (not terminally ill as far as I know) threw himself under a train. It was very sad, but someone said 'what a courageous thing to do' - interesting way to look at it and in a way, thats how I see sick people making those decisions too.
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