My mother’s conversations were a gift
I had the conversation with my parent.
When I was young she always ended each discussion with "if I died tomorrow I would die happy because I had you for a son".
My Mother lost both Parents by the time she was 13. She was the 11th of 13 children and was raised by her two oldest sisters. Our conversation has been an ongoing dialogue about how life should be lived and what each of us would want if our health was failing or meaningful life was in question. When I was young she always ended each discussion with “if I died tomorrow I would die happy because I had you for a son”. I feel these conversations were a gift.
I have now raised two children and have discussed what I expect and hope end of life should be. They in turn have shared their thoughts, and even my wife who for a long time was uncomfortable with these conversations has now shared with us her own feelings concerning end of life. My Mothers determination to be open about her own end of life was a gift. It has allowed me to manage her deteriorating health with confidence that I am doing for her exactly what she would want. I am at peace knowing our decisions are those that she would have made for herself if she could.