Death of a friend
Ruth Thorsell died from cancer this morning. It’s been a really sad past few months to see her go from the life-filled musician she has been her whole life to someone who has been struggling to survive. Katy and my thoughts and prayers go out to the Thorsell family.
The past few years have really brought death back to my life after having it be noticeably absent for my first 20 years. In the past few years my paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother have both died. Our family dog, Minnie, also passed away during that period. Comparing the experiences of these deaths really brings home the fact that dying is often painful. My Grandfather died from a variety of things, including what was later believed to be bone cancer. He had to be in a nursing home for the last few months of his life. Minnie was on a long trek downhill, which started with her going through spells where she couldn’t walk, getting to the point where she was having trouble breathing until we finally put her to sleep.
As a kid, I remember hearing about a pastor’s wife who died from cancer (she was also previously my choir director). At the time, it didn’t sound that bad, but looking back, I’m starting to realize what dying from cancer really means.
Thankfully, my Grandma Hove was the blissful exception. She was a little sick before she died, but it wasn’t anything that required going to the hospital (at least what she was experiencing the weeks before she died). She died quickly in her home, on her own terms, if such a thing exists with death.
Various times, I’ve had discussions about how I’d want to die. That’s a difficult question. You’re always forced to weight the opportunity to say goodbye to the people you love with the suffering that knowing that you are dying brings both you and them. I don’t know how I could make that decision, I guess that’s why it’s in God’s hands.
“We mourn, but not as those without hope.”