Choosing To Die: My favourite death story.

Do we get to choose when we die? Do you really think that our willpower, or lack therein, can affect the time we have on this physical plane? I think, to some extent, it does. And I'm not talking about 'Right to Die' or euthanasia. I'm talking about just letting yourself go, when you know its time.

Last night on Grey’s Anatomy there was a woman who had a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) but the doctors acted quickly to save her life before being told of said request. In the end the doctor who inserted a tube to save her life, had to remove the tube and kill her. This brought up thoughts of her poor dying mother . . . drama ensues. I was moved to tears to see an old woman, surrounded by her best friends and children, happily drift off to see her husband in the next realm. It reminded me of another death story; this one true . . .

One of my best friends, The Teacher (she is no longer a teacher, but she continues to teach me invaluable lessons), once told me the story of when her grandmother died.

Her Grandmother died in her mid-90's. A farm girl from birth, at the wise old age of 5 years old this woman decided to inform her mother that she would only want to die in the summertime. "The Spring and Autumn are far to busy on the farm to have people take off a day to come to my funeral. And I should be there to help with all the toiling and harvest and whatnot. And the winter, well, it's just far to cold to expect my loved ones to stand in the snow to bury me. Nope! The only proper time for a farm girl to die is in the summer, so that's when I shall do it."

Cut to ninety years later. No longer on the farm, the lady lie in hospital for several weeks. Knowing she was close to death, the family visited often; caring and praying for her. But they knew that they had some time. Doctors were amazed at the will of this woman. She should have met her maker by now, but still she held on. What was her motivation? What was she waiting for? Slowly, everyday her little body broke down bit by bit, but she still held on.

Finally she gave in. She let herself go on June 21st, the first day of summer. Just like the proper farm girl had said for 90years.