Quotes

The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years, yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.

Book of Common Prayer (1928)

“Medical training rarely deals with helping the dying patient find peace and comfort. In fact, most physicians are uncomfortable with the entire subject. I believe it is one of the most neglected aspects of medical care.”

Dr Roger Bone, here. 

“I do think people need ritual, and probably particularly funerals. Because no one wants to be told, “Okay, you have a dead relative. Go bury him someplace.” They want to know that something will kick in now. It will be taken out of my hands, and everyone will know what to do.”

Christopher Hitchens

“Kill me, you fucking fool!”

Kingsley Amis, as he lay dying, to his son Philip. 

“When I die I want to go peacefully like my grandfather did, in his sleep…

not screaming, like the passengers in his car.”

Text of a Christmas card that’s just arrived at GFG HQ

“We should never think of the funeral as a business.”

Buddhist priest, Japan.

When we walked into the funeral home, there was my mother laid out in a pretty blue dress with townspeople milling around, smiling, greeting me, speaking of old times. Happy talk.

My wife, ashen, asked, “Why is she wearing glasses?” 

Michael Pulley

Source

“Taking a  deep look at my own death I began to envisage how exactly I would like my death to be. It made me realise that what I am leading my clients through in the hospice is definitely not what I would want myself and I see now that I must take a new look at what I am doing.”

Hospice consultant who attended a Dying to Live workshop.