End of life conversations are not for the faint of heart. Logic, and reason, turns into a lump in the throat as a colleague talks about the finality of life and the fleeting hope that comes with a terminal diagnosis.
Structure, and policy and protocol go out the window. No degree of empathy can ever prepare any of us to really walk in the shoes of one so afflicted. In this case, the shoes just don’t fit. I hope no one — friend or foe — has to ever live in those shoes. Ever.
There are no right or wrong answers. Everyone reacts to the fragility of life differently. My best friend fought to the bitter end. A former colleague decided against the medical assault on his body and spent his final days in Tahiti. And now this one hit close to home. The common culprit? Cancer.
I will say a silent prayer and hope that a sense of peace and comfort comes over her, and others who suffer. When it comes to life and death, all other problems seem so mundane. And the little things we complain about are totally inconsequential.
About Hemant Rustogi