When it's over...

I have a friend that was just told by his doctor that he has come down with a disease that can not be cured by modern medicine.  The doctors can make the remainder of his like somewhat painless, but there are several things that he will have to give up:

• The ability to drive - because the medicine will keep him in a total fog most of the time to relieve him from the pain.
• The ability to travel - because he will need to be close to home so that he can continuously go back to the doctor to refill his prescription.
• The ability to be intimate - because the combination of the disease and medicine will lower his blood pressure to the point that he is unable to gain arousal.
• The ability to feel warmth - because the medicine will hinder the nervous system from feeling most stimulus.

In a nutshell, it will be as though he is in a prison cell because the true liberties of life have been restricted.

Within the remaining months that he has, there are several things that he would like to do, but with limited options what would be the best thing to do?  Should he make out a list of loved ones that he would like to see once again and then share that list with his loved ones?  Should he ignore the advice of the doctor and have someone else assist him on his journeys to visit his loved ones?

Knowing how much he loved everyone in his life, his decision was to keep it to himself about everything that is going on with his life.  Because of that decision he is trying to figure out what will be the end results upon his death.  Will his loved ones feel even more pain because he knew of his situation yet did not tell anyone?

Is it wrong to keep something this serious to yourself and not share with loved ones?  I believe that it is very wrong to hold the truth of your own mortality from those that you have shared your life with.  Although some people find it rather easy to hide this kind of information from people, it seems to heartless to do this.

Have you ever wondered who would show up to your funeral, where it would be held and what people had to say about you?  I know some people will say that once you are dead, it doesn't matter what people have to say or think about you because you are not there to hear it. Will there be family members that talk about a few of those really funny moments they had with you in the past?  For those left behind, did you leave enough money, guidance, advice and love to take care of your loved ones? Why did I say Love????  Yes I believe it is possible to love those in your life so much that your love is felt even after you are gone.

If you were my friend and all of the above was what you told me, would you really expect me to hold your secret from your family and loved ones?  Should I break the silence and gather those that love you so that they can have the pleasure of being with you one last time?

When it's over...we will all be alone in our graves until kingdom comes, so while you are here, please call your friends, family and other important people to tell them how you feel.  

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, please do not put off to tomorrow the things you need to say and do today.  Those that you love can and will be taken from you day by day, year by year.  Please make each day/month/year be worth your life, because there is a chance that tomorrow will come...yet you will be no more.  Live life to its fullest and enjoy the pleasures of life while you live through the pains of life as well.

Everything above is just hypothetical, I do not have a friend that is about to die...nor is it me that I am talking about.  I needed to put myself and my reader in the right frame of mind to think about the issue. When in doubt about the subjects I talk about, please refer back to the text under the main title of this blog..."take it at face value".