There is so much in the media at the moment about the death penalty facing some prisoners overseas. There are the highest levels of political and bureaucratic involvement that are begging for mercy and compassion. Some are even saying that the whole process for the prisoners is a form of torture in and of itself.
Yet there are hundreds, if not thousands and tens of thousands of people who are facing impending death every day. They too, beg for mercy and compassion. They too, beg to released from the torture that they endure every day.
And I am not going to go into a discussion about the rights and wrongs of the prisoners and their fate. That is not what this post is about. I would just love for a moment for even just a fraction of the spotlight that is being shone on that situation to be shone on the thousands of others…but that’s not newsworthy and will not feed the beast that is the public’s thirst for sensationalist media coverage.
Our dying want their pain to be properly and effectively managed. Our dying want to still be seen as people of value and worth. Our dying want to still be seen as part of a vibrant society and not hidden away from the world to see. Our dying want to die a good death – as defined by them. And yes, a lot of our dying want the option to choose when they end their suffering. Our dying are tortured in so many different ways…but there is no outcry from the powers that be or the media en masse.
This post is simply to highlight that the world does not revolve around that which the media tells us it does. We need to honour our dying and their journey for the sacred experience that it is. This post is to say very loudly that we can all, as a community, live the experience that is dying and death better for every single person that is involved – the person on their end journey, their loved ones and the medical professionals who care for them. We can ease the suffering of the dying, we can ease some of the grief of the loved ones and we can lower the stress levels of the medical professionals…and all we need to do is to take some time to listen to what our dying are saying and then take action based in love and compassion.
Peace & blessings, Sharon