Maybe it's just luck, but I often find myself turning on the radio or TV as a "goodbye" story is being aired or teased. The same thing often happens with print publications. A newsletter arrived the other day from the Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Boston, an agency that serves people at critical stages of their lives. On page 6 was a touching story about a Holocaust survivor named Gertrude who, at age 94, had outlived her husband and friends.
Gertrude was afraid of dying alone, and the staff of this agency made sure she did not. They also made it possible for her late husband's cherished violin, which saved him from death by the Nazis, to be delivered safely to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. These caregivers gave a precious gift to Gertrude, who had witnessed humans' capacity for cruelty, by enabling her to die with comfort and dignity.
You can read this story by clicking here and turning to page 6.
Consider this . . .
Listen to the wishes of the person who is dying.
Most of us don't want to be alone at the end, so be there for your loved one -- or make sure someone else is there.
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