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| My son got a taste of difficult decision making earlier this week. He's 32. Some years ago, an older lady in town had named him and her niece from another town to be the parties responsible for making "end of life" decisions on her behalf. This lady had babysat my son in his early boyhood, and they always had a bond.
Although the lady wasn't so old now, it became apparent a couple of months ago that her health/body was failing. She needed help living on her own in her home. She fell. She needed help
"maintaining". She moved from home to Nursing home, to local hospital, to Metro Hospital over a few weeks time. A couple nights ago the hospital called the two "decision makers" in in the middle of the night, as things were looking bad.
These two "decision makers" were both in their early thirties, and old enough to make responsible decisions......yet they were both "rookies" in the sense that they had never been in this position before. My son called me twice as he drove to "the city" with questions...…..some silly, some philosophical, some practical, some spiritual.
Both the niece and my son arrived in time. The lady knew they were there. Her body had shut down. They both decided that she was past the point of no return. There would be no point in trying to mechanically extend her life. There was nothing more to do except hold her hands and let her pass. In an hour or so, she did. They made "arrangements", and phone calls and texts. My son drove home at dawn, changed his clothes, and went out to his tractor. He hasn't said much about it, but I know his first experience with "life and death" decisions is weighing heavily on him. He has taken another step into the world of adult reality. showboat | |
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Tough Adult Decisions
