All of us will meet our end one day . Some sooner than others. It's not exactly an uplifting thought to dwell upon but at one point or the other, we are  confronted by our own mortality. Sometimes a very melodramatic scene in a movie of a dying or dead character can bring forth this utter feeling of sadness... and maybe fear. In my particular line of work, I can't help but ask myself some very curious and to some, "morbid" questions.

First, let's look up the definition of the word . Death is defined as end of being alive: the ending of all vital functions or processes in an organism or cell. Hmmm... A very matter of fact definition but the word in itself evokes a whole gamut of emotions to a lot of people. Some have their individual reasons and experiences to feel a certain way but for some, it's a virgin territory that no one wants to venture into.

 How and when death will come knocking on our door might be something some people would like to know just so that they can cheat the grim reaper, much like in sci-fi time travel stories. To those who unwillingly gained that knowledge may use the information in their own varied or precise ways. For the terminally ill patients who were given the "talk" by their doctors about their poor prognosis and "time left", it could seem like a death sentence hanging over their head, pervading all waking and unconscious thoughts, paving a path to depression. For some, these facts might become opportunities for them to straighten out their unfinished business ( Last Will and Testament, reconciliations, vacations) and prepare themselves for that event. Quite a daunting task but once accomplished could make the experience an entirely significant and peaceful transition.  

I've seen this countless times, only the names and faces are different. Death can bring out the best and the worst in people. It can unite or tear a family apart . It can rouse up the green-eyed monster or expose a bleeding heart. It can inspire loyalty or may cause abandonment.

 One patient (Mr. Adam*) in the past shared to me his feelings of regret that he will never get to see his grandchildren and that they will never get to know him, the cool "biker" grandpa .This lament particularly tugged at my heartstrings since it always make me sad that my father didn't live long enough to see my offsprings (none so far) . So, after listening to Mr. Adam, I made a suggestion that perhaps he can ask his kids to help him create a scrapbook   about his life so that one day, his granchildren might be able to browse it and have a sense of what sort of a person he was. Another idea that was tossed around is a DVD/video  documenting his living out his last days with his family and friends. He was expressly appreciative of the suggestions and resolved on making them a reality once he gets home. I was glad to see that spark of interest and enthusiasm in his eyes. I'm sure there'll be crummy days ahead of him but hopefully, he will stay on course and finish this one mission.  

* not his real name