Getting old is not for sissies was a buzz line a while back for bumper stickers, it was funny but it ended there. Although when you reach a certain age it takes on a whole different slant, it becomes very serious. This article from the New York Times is about a mother who asked her daughters to assist her in ending her life. Many older people entertain this thought when a life ending illness becomes too painful to endure.
My mother when she was getting older and her health was going south just mentioned it in passing. I think just to see what my feelings were about the subject. I think a goodly amount of old folks at least think about ending it on their terms. I was not a sympathetic ear and told her to not ask me to assist to that end. My mother liked to say shocking things from time to time, and maybe this was just one of those times.
Getting older seems to add articles like this one from the Times in our required reading. Time moves unrelentedly on and how we wish to end our life here on earth is certainly important.
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