A Calm, Elderly Man
Roby is a hospice volunteer with the visiting nurses association, and part of the work he does is taking part in vigils. The volunteers take shifts staying with people who are dying so that they constantly have someone with them until they pass away.
Roby spoke to me about a man he visited today. He said, "He was really in a good place, so calm. He had everything together. It is good to see someone who is not terrified of dying."
He paused, then continued, "You know, everyone keeps telling me I should do volunteer work that is not so depressing... but it doesn't bring me down at all. I feel I get a lot out of it. And that nursing home I went to today is great. They really do all they can for the patients."
"It's encouraging to hear of a place like that," I said.
"Yeah, I had heard about it, but until you see it, it is hard to believe. Each room even has its own patio and the doors slide open and they can push the patients' beds right out to get some fresh air. Really nice."
When my time comes, I'd rather die at home. But if I ever need to be in a nursing home, the one Roby visited sounds like a good option.
I think of that man, peacefully awaiting his own death, and I wonder... how will I respond when it is my time to go? Is it a blessing to see your own death on the horizon, counting down the last breaths? Or would it be better to pass away during sleep? I think I would want to be conscious for my last moments.
On a lighter note, I took a practice GRE test today, and I did fairly well. I'm feeling more comfortable with the test as a whole, which is good, because I take the real thing next Wednesday.
Posts
4 comments:
I used to be a Hospice Volunteer years ago. I also got a lot out of it.
I held a lot of hands gave a listening ear and hoped I brought the comfort that they needed.
Good for Roby.
Roby sounds like the perfect person for this role, Mike. That nursing home sounds like a rare one indeed! I've never been afraid of dying, and I hope I won't be when the time comes. I would much prefer it not to be a painful or violent experience though! Dying in one's sleep sounds so peaceful, but like you I think I would like to be awake and fully aware of the experience. I want to know if it really happens the way those with near-death experiences say.
I'll be sending positive thoughts and energy your way on test day!
i hope that your test goes well..can you remind me what the initials which test that is for?
It's the Graduate Record Examination... the standardized test many colleges require you to take if you're going to apply to graduate school. I'm considering going back to school, so I figured I'd get the test out of the way.
Post a Comment