Positive Women’s Network: Often people are uncomfortable talking about death, but it’s in the cards for every single one of us. Before successful HIV treatments were available and early death seemed inevitable, there was lots of talk about making wills, planning guardianship for children (and pets, for some). Thankfully the urgency of planning isn’t as great as it was then, but it doesn’t negate the fact that death is the ultimate end.
There are some great sites out there that talk about end of life planning. As a sampling, Best Endings (“For Those Who Want to Talk about End of Life and Those who don’t”), Advance Care Planning (“Start the conversation about end of life care”) and US-based The Conversation Project – “It’s not easy to talk about dying but it’s vitally important.” Best Endings has some great information about what different terms mean, such as DNR (Do Not Resuscitate/Do Not Revive). Advances Care has a page with links for the planning guides of provinces and territories.
Having lost both my parents, I have that “I’m next” feeling, so I do reflect on my death. I think it’s a good thing. By thinking about your wishes when you’re healthy, you may give yourself the best possible death when you’re not.