This Holiday Season, Talk to Your Family about Death
It's a Tough but Invaluable Subject to Talk About
Holiday greetings friends. I am your local, friendly, community, neighborhood, emergency doctor here. I also happen to be on our local hospital ethics committee. I want to take this opportunity around the holiday time to talk to you about death.
Death is a tough subject to talk about. Some of us meet with estate lawyers and plan for it. Some of us are in denial of its impending arrival. Some of us meet regularly with a religious or spiritual leader in anticipation of its arrival.
Tibetan Buddhist philosophy teaches us that acceptance of this fundamental human condition is the key to understanding a deeper truth and sense of compassionate purpose. Holiday times are the perfect time to talk to family and loved ones about death. If you are ever struck down by a bus, infected with a plague, afflicted with a terminal illness, the friends and family who will be helping you with your end-of-life decisions, are probably sitting around your holiday table. Here are some suggestions on how to have a meaningful conversation about death around the holiday table:
