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This page was written on July 27th, 1998. It is dedicated to my children and my husband, without whom I would have no reason to live. Don't Take Life Seriously (You'll Never Get Out of it Alive!)
A great comedian once said that, but I don't know who it was. So, I will give credit to my sister for bringing the line to my attention.
Suicide has been a topic for news and discussion for as long as man has been alive. The Catholics view it as a mortal sin for which there is no redemption. Society treats it as a taboo subject, something that isn't discussed in polite company. And the media uses it as headline grabbing topic. For several years now, the subject has been debated in our courts and in the news because one man believes that it is more humane to help a person end their life with dignity than to let them suffer the indignities that an illness may carry with it.
My question is, whose life is it anyway? I think that Dr. Kevorkian is a very brave and wonderful man. My husband and I disagree on this subject, but it is my desire that if I become too ill to take care of myself, and there is no hope for recovery, then I would prefer to die with dignity, by my own hand and in the presence of my loved ones; than to spend an undetermined amount of time hooked up to machines that feed me, breathe for me, and dispose of my bodily wastes for me. I have no desire to suffer, nor do I wish for my family to suffer the pain of watching me waste away and deal with the financial hardships that keeping me alive would bring.
This is just one part of the suicide discussion.
However, on the other side of the coin, is the whiney crying babies who keep yelling that they don't want to live. My opinon on that is to hand them a knife, or a gun, or whatever is handy and tell them to either go ahead and do it, or shut up about it. I can say this with all sincerity, since I did attempt it. I never said anything about it until after the fact, and at the time, I did want to die.
In all seriousness, tho, in the 13 years since that time, I have come to the conclusion that is there is nothing and no one in this world worth killing yourself over. If you feel that that is your only option, call a friend, an enemy, a priest or even a local d.j. Anyone that will talk to you. Because, if you talk about your problem with someone, sooner or later, you will realize that you really don't want to die. I am not talking about the terminally ill who want to die with dignity. In fact I think there should be another term, like assisted death for those people. The ones I am talking to is the 15 year old who just broke up with her boyfriend, or the 30 something husband whose wife just told him she was leaving, or the millionaire who just lost his money, or the banker who just lost their job. Because, if you stop and think about it, you could be a whole lot worse off. Think about the homeless who have no place to sleep, or the mother who has no food for her baby, or the son who just lost his mother. They are still alive. Why? Because at the bottom of their heart and soul they still have hope that one day it will get better.
If you take the time to think about it, you will realize that you can survive. Take it all one day at a time. Be thankful for all that you do have. Be grateful that are free to make that choice to live or die. But the best advice that I can give you, from one who has been there, is that nothing is so bad that you can't recover from it. I should know. I am grateful each and everyday for the friends who wouldn't let me die. Because I would never have known the joy of motherhood, or the love of a good man. Because in all reality, you really shouldn't take life so seriously. No one ever gets out of it alive.
