Fandango poses a truly thought provoking question this week and says
I am not preoccupied with death, but I must admit that as I’ve aged, I think more about it now, as a septuagenarian, than I used to in my younger days. We know that none of us is immortal and that we’re all going to die at some point in the future. That brings me to this week’s provocative question:
Would you want to know before hand the date, time, and circumstances of your death, or would you rather not know when and how it will happen?
I agree about thinking about death more than I did as a younger person. I suppose it’s compounded by having lost both of my parents now, some dear friends, even Maggie, that brings it home that we won’t live forever.
In a way, if we knew when we were going to depart this life, it gives us the chance to get our affairs in order so that there’s no additional upsets or responsibility for those left behind. My FIL knew he was on borrowed time and made sure everything was prepared for MIL, so that all she had to do was fill in the date, sign her name and provide death certificates where necessary.
If I knew how, when and even where, I would avoid it and be doing something else, though I guess the Grim Reaper would come for me regardless. A date’s a date after all, and I have never liked being late or to keep anyone waiting.
But I don’t think I would like to know. It would be like an irreversible countdown and if it didn’t happen exactly as it was supposed to, would everyone be saying typical, she couldn’t even get that right!
When I had my second cancer op in October 2019, I was concerned that I might not come out the other side. I made sure that as I was going under I said how much I loved Hubby and the dog. Daft, but I wanted that to be my last conscious thought.
When I had chest pains and they thought it might be a heart attack, I was frightened, especially as it was the second time for me and Hubby couldn’t go with me to the hospital.
So that’s two potential killers and I’ve had two episodes with both. Hopefully there won’t be a third for either.
I hope I am blessed with going to sleep one way. In case that happens, the last thing I say to Hubby each night is that I love him. He already knows, but I tell him anyway, every day.
pensitivity101 
That is so funny Di, “she couldn’t even get that right!”.
Would be just my luck Jim!
Good thoughtful answers Di 🙂
As you may recall, my father died in October 2018 and he knew he was going to die, the cancer was so aggressive. I remember him telling me a few years previous to that time, he would most assuredly would want to know when he was going to die, so he could have everything in order on the Estate’s administrative leveland YET, even though he knew he was going to die he did nothing except await it’s arrival and allow the small bit of time he had left with cognative functioning to disappear. Towards the end, my father became exceedingly hostile to me – so very aggressive, the reason being was that he knew he had wasted the time he did have left, did not take care of the skeletons in his administrations and because he knew he had failed to hide them, he knew his son would find them all and in my father’s eyes his son would no longer see him as the hero he believed himself to be.
The irony of it all, was that l never saw my father as a hero anyway …….. but l had wished he had used his small amount of time left to live to actually live, instead of allowing his life to die before he died.
Would l want to know – no, like you, l would prefer for it to be just clean and swift.
I am sorry for your loss Rory and the way things were for you.
Worry not Di, my father and l were not that close .
I’m like that with my sister unfortunately.
Simply put Di – sadly that’s the case with families, we can’t pick who we get.
Nope, that’s why friends are so important, and I am so lucky to have some good ones.
I agree Di, it would be good to get out affairs in order before we leave this world.
I think we should always tell those closest to us how much we love them, you never know when your time is up!
We tell each other every day