It Is About How You Live

I've spent the last several months in a palliative care setting--as a social work intern--not as a patient--and it provides more than frequent opportunities to think about living, dying, grieving, how illness affects the body and spirit, not to mention the "well" people who care for the dying, exactly how broad the term "quality of life" really is, and the different ways people express feelings of fear, hope, anticipation, sadness, pain,etc., when faced with death.

I have been very moved and affected by the life and death of Piergiorgio Welby, an Italian man who lived with muscular dystrophy all of his adult life and then fought for his right to die. In a letter to Italy's President, he wrote that "Life is the woman who loves you, the wind through your hair, the sun on your face, an evening stroll with a friend. Life is also a woman who leaves you, a rainy day, a friend who deceives you. " Read the letter in full here. Welby died on December 20th, 2006, after receiving assistance from a physician who agreed to turn off the machines keeping Welby alive. This physician may face a criminal charge because of this. Never forget that there are those who seek to impose their own values and agendas upon people in death as well as life.

Working with dying people has prompted me to think more daily about how I live. This will be a year of change for me--hopefully it will also be about personal growth, increased insight, and opportunities to be an effective advocate for myself and others.