Dying With Dignity

How fortunate we are in Canada to now have the option of choosing to end our lives when there is no hope for recovery and we're in pain or discomfort.  This has always been my choice and many years ago, when it was illegal, Joyce and I made a pact to help each other die with dignity when our times came.  I'm sure many people have done just that whether it was illegal or not.  But now we have been given a humane choice and I'm forever thankful to the right thinking people who made it possible, at least here in Canada.

For the life of me, I can't see why so many religious people are against us choosing to end our own lives in the circumstances I mentioned.  Why would any loving god want us to suffer in agony when there is no chance to recover from our illness?  I remember Sylvia and I discussing the evil behavior of pedophile priests and she said they have been given free will to make their own choices, good or bad.  Doesn't that mean we have also been given the right to our own free choice to end our lives at the appropriate time?

Assisted dying might not be for everyone but nothing much is.  Why should someone who is dying be forced to spend countless days or months in agony or even coma because of another's ethics?  They can choose as they please but let me have a choice, too.

Right now my dear brother-in-law is in his final days on earth and, as much as I hate the thought of never seeing him again, I ache to have his misery ended for him.  If there was any hope he'd recover, we'd all be so happy but there will come a time when we have to accept he's gone even though medical intervention is the only thing keeping his heart beating.  I don't consider that life.  

Life is when we can interact on any level with people.  Life is when our minds aren't fogged up with medication to dull physical pain.  Life is when there is hope.  

Yes, I'm very grateful that we have legalized assisted dying in Canada.  I may never need it but it eases my mind to know it's available if and when I do.