The Spirituality of Dying, Part 2

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”

 

The featured quote for this episode is from Steve Jobs. He said, "If you live each day as it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right."

 

Our topic for today is titled "The Spirituality of Dying, Part 2" from the book, "The Art of Dying: Living Fully into the Life to Come" by Rob Moll.

 

--- The Veteran

 

Paul, a World War II veteran, was dying of complications from diabetes. A father of four girls and one boy, he lived with his family in Wisconsin. After the war, he worked to raise his large Catholic family. However, those memories of the war remained an important part of his life and eventually his death.

 

Becky, one of Paul's daughters, said that even in his old age he remained close to his army buddies. "He had several guys from his hometown that were all in the service with him. They all made it through, and they remained friends throughout their lives." Dinners together with their families, as the friends aged, turned into breakfasts of donuts and coffee. Growing up, Becky would listen to her father's stories and the faith he had in God, who Paul believed provided very real protection from harm during the war. Though he dodged bullets in Europe, diabetes slowly caught up with him. He entered a local hospice program, but stayed alive much longer than expected. "He just hung on," Becky says.

 

And just when it seemed that Paul's life would soon end, the family's hospice nurse had to leave. For her own reasons she was taking another job. It devastated Becky and her family. "She worked for a long time with him," Becky said. "Dad was at least a couple months in hospice, and they got to know the nurse. They really grew to love her. She was a source of strength for the family at that time."

 

The nurse was leaving despite the fact that Paul had only days of life left. Hospice staff told Becky's mother to call her children and let them know their father would soon die. "My mom was really upset about the nurse leaving, and my dad too," Becky says.

 

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