Dark Sentiments Season 7 – Day 21: When Death Declines
Posted By Randy on October 21, 2016
It’s said that one who kills himself
Just takes the coward’s way.
I’ll grant this Truth for those who leave
When Duty says to stay.But if you lack dependents
That must look to you for strength,
When all that’s good has fled your life
Why look to it for length?
Suicide is one of those subjects that Western culture simultaneously attempts to understand and avert its eyes from. In fact, there’s so much about death from any cause at all that society struggles not to come to grips with, you’d almost think it was something unusual.
Another side of the coin is revealed when someone is handed the news of their death sentence by way of a cancer diagnosis. They can expect to have to travel the path of this new reality essentially alone, no matter how loved and surrounded by supportive people they may be … and then there are the ones who have accepted their end with grace, and found a way to help those around them do the same, only to discover that Life is not so easily cast off. When that happens, the reactions of the erstwhile doomed, and their staunch supporters, can be somewhat counterintuitive. That last bit though, it’s a thing in itself that we’ll save for another night. For now, we’ll look at two examples from two very personal perspectives. One who decided to end his life, and another who wasn’t given a choice.
“Surviving survival: what happens when you expect to die … and don’t” includes a radio documentary called Splash produced by Rich Halten, and the story of breast cancer survivor Diane Marley. The show originally aired 18 October 2016 on CBC Radio’s The Doc Project.
Have a listen here.
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