God's Speed

I fought pretty hard for this patient. Day and night, I tried to help him in his fight for his life. After 5 days and 5 nights he died. He died as I withdrew care from him when we finally, sadly, realized we were only prolonging death.

He was 10 years younger than myself. I watched the last of life leave him, his young wife gently kissing him goodbye. Incredibly - the end of an entire lifetime.

As I wrote his death note I wrote that he died quietly with his family by his bedside. And as I have come to do I signed it – God’s speed. 

God’s speed means safe journey. It has no special religious meaning. Good since I am an agnostic. 

I think concerning death, we as care givers can relax the shackles of absolute political correctness and introduce at least a little humanity. At least that was my intent.

I'm quite certain that in the beginning political correctness was meant to heighten self-awareness and increase sensitivity and fairness. It has long since morphed into a form of mind control and it more often than not robs us of part of our humanity. Experiencing each other as we are - faults, edges, smells and stumbles can only result in deeper more meaningful human interaction. Experiencing each other behind the cold walls of extreme political correctness leaves us hollow, more isolated, and less human.

He and his wife touched me deeply. I will carry them in my heart all my life.

Gods Speed John