Daddy, This Is It. Being-With My Dying Dad

Book excerpt: My father lived an inspiring End of Life, and before he passed, he encouraged me to share the story of his transition. He faced metastatic cancer by living fully for the rest of his days. When treatments beat him down, Dad set small physical goals and systematically met them. Time and again, his doctors preserved the human body where the tumors grew, until there was nothing more they could do to prevent the inevitable. But Dad didn't feel like dying. He felt full of life and longing to live. He was angry and sad, disappointed and confused, scared and brave, unaccepting and, finally, accepting. With courage and amazing grace, he lovingly prepared our family for his passing. As our time together came to an end, I was grateful to be present. Although death is an inevitable part of life, how we choose to be-with the dying and the bereaved is up to us. I encourage you to prepare and to embrace the possibility of a lovingly supported transition and, to that end, I include some resources that may assist you. Being ready to be-with is a wonderful way to live.