It’s the first Monday in July and here I am, considering what my life is like at the moment. Yesterday Bren and I visited one of her best friends who is going through her last days before she will be euthanised. It’s a very heavy road she travelled and we visited her with the intention to give her an afternoon full of joy and smiles. Later, when we got home we received a message from her that she was still looking back on a wonderful afternoon with us. I’m so glad we were able to do this for her, because the road she has walked to get where she is now was one filled wait pain of both physical and psychological nature.

Euthanasia is a pretty controversial subject, of course, but as a Humanist I am of the opinion that everybody should be able to end his or her own life when the quality of life is too low and when the amount of suffering is just too much to handle. Nobody should be forced to continue living like that. I know many people don’t agree, mostly because of religious opinion, or perhaps otherwise, but I wonder if those same people would retain those opinions if they were placed in a similar situation.

Yesterday really put things in perspective for myself. We often tend to forget the things that are important in our lives and get so caught up in the madness of everyday life that we forget what is truly important. Things like our health and meaningful relationships with others. Love and kinship. Feeling heard and being understood. Belonging. I really think everyone should be focussing on those things that make their life worth living. And to keep learning new things, and creating something that is bigger than ourselves. Only then can we truly say that we have lived our life to the fullest. That’s what I wish for everybody, that they stay healthy and happy. And that they have the ability to share everything with the people they love.

Have a good week all!

~Jeffrey