3 of 35

Write now Article Tools

I should be good at writing about aging, sickness and death as I have been taking care of people, as a nurse, for over thirty years. But I find myself unable to encapsulate those experiences in words. My first thought in watching others is that having to deal with the pain that comes from aging, sickness, and dying brings us grace, courage, peace, and, finally, wisdom. We are flawed philosophers in a place, at times beautiful at others, terrible. We must come to terms with that and our own mortality. In so doing, we are defining, pursuing and answering the ultimate eternal questions for ourselves. How well we live our lives is a demonstration of how well we are answering the questions life poses to us.

Aging requires us to redefine ourselves and our place in the world on a regular basis. Throughout life, we cast off and assume identities like some crazed party goer. We are successful if the people who we become are appropriate for our circumstances of life, at that moment, and if we can continue to grow in some way important to us. In this we must endure for the people whom we love and the things we love to do may not always be there for us. We need to continue, without fear, as if we know exactly what our lives mean and where we are headed.

In sickness we must endure, as comfortably as possible, and survive. There is nothing more to do! At those moments in my life when I was ill I found books that led me to examine my deepest beliefs and I was able to emerge from the illness with more insight and wisdom than I came into it with. When I recovered I appreciated my life, the things I had, and the people I loved much more. I felt that I had discovered what was truly important and that I never again would worry about lesser things.

In the death of others I have found the stillness and quiet of nature as if sitting alone in a wood and I have found myself completely shattered without a will to live. I have imagined my passing in any number of ways my only fear is that I will leave someone in pain. I wish it could be otherwise.

The bottom line is that during any crisis we tend to respond as least as well as we have lived our lives (so far). I don't think we need to worry about how we will act or feel. When the moment of testing arrives, we will act as we have lived, and , for better or worse, we will understand that everything is as it should be.

Learn more about this author, Gary Gagne.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to accept aging, sickness and the possibility of death?
We want to hear your view. Write now!