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| The Art of Dying Well |
I had read this book several years ago, before my own Mama died, and thought it was so important and worth the read. Going through it again now was a completely new experience. This book is like that. It will truly meet you ‘where you are’. And as we age, we are at a different point each time we read it. It is not just about ‘dying’, but about how to live out our years with the highest quality of life possible. It is about taking charge of our health, our finances, and our wishes for our future now, and not just later.
This time around I read it just after a grueling hospitalization experience with my Daddy. I felt both appalled and empowered by her words. We had ended up fighting to leave the hospital because we felt Daddy was being ‘nursing-homed’ (not a word, I know, but an accurate description of what we believe was happening to him). She talks about the difficulties navigating the healthcare system, especially for the elderly - and things to be watchful for and actions to take if possible. I was affirmed that our decisions were the correct ones (of course we knew this based on his immediate improvement upon returning home) and yet appalled that this is a common scenario for so many. :(
I appreciate that it is informative, practical, and helps you not only think about things you could and should be doing, but provides some structure (and lists) for things to do. It also invites you to think about topics and wishes well before it is a crisis... which is truly the best time to be thinking about such things. This is a book that I will likely work my way through again in a few years.
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