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Matt L.'s avatar
3dEdited

Very nice, Peachy. Last week my family surrounded my 80 year old mom (stage 4 cancer) for her final days. A strong, devoted Catholic. I was her POA and we entered hospice and w/ company of family, friends, prayer, song and good pain meds - she passed over in about 1 week. It was a good and natural death. And many of her younger nephews and nieces and their children came to ‘see’ and say goodbye. We set up a card table in her room to play cribbage and ‘normalize’ the atmosphere for the young ones experiencing this arc of life for the 1st time. Death is not to be feared. Now I have to write the obituary for this amazing woman. But then I’m also looking forward to reading of rosary, and funeral mass where we will sing ‘I Am the Bread of Life’ among other nostalgic Catholic hymns.

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USMCVet's avatar

Well done, Peachy! I am probably a great deal closer to death than you (hopefully), so I have done what you recommend in this article: I have reconciled myself with estranged friends and family, I have a "Farm List" (as in "bought the farm") laying out points of contact for insurance, the VA for reporting, where all the savings are kept, and the list of people I'd recommend calling for my funeral. I'll miss my children and my wife, but I've done what I can to make my passing as easy as I can for them.

I have renewed my faith and am up to date with the sacraments, so as much as anyone can be, I'm ready to "step off". I'm looking forward to seeing Our Lord, his Blessed Mother and all the friends, still in their 20s, who I left behind me in Vietnam.

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