What set me thinking about this topic?

I was driving home after visiting my mother who was hospitalised a few days earlier with a bad cough...

But you see ...she is already in her 80s and has been bedridden for several years and has gone senile. Ever since she retired from teaching to look after her grandchildren she has been house bound with practically no social life of her own. Since the kids have grown up one by one and they no longer need her attention...and the passing away of my father from stroke she only have my unmarried sister for company. Then my sis too was called away by cancer leaving poor mum alone with a maid to look after and keep her company.

So as she aged, her eye sight gave way and she could no longer read the papers or watch TV. Slowly her strength also left her and she could no longer cook for her extended families or take walks around the neighbourhood. So as the years pass by she just lost interest in life, resigned to a vegetative state in bed. Her eyelids have grown so heavy that she cannot even open her eyes!

No doubt she has to swallow a handful of pills every day...for this or that ailment...but she is relatively healthy with a strong heart that refuses to give way...But what is life without the ability to live???

Then there is my mother-in-law. She is in her 90s and also bedridden! Has been so for the past 2 years. She too was in relatively good health...could go to the market and cook for her children and their families right up to the day she suffered a minor stroke. From that day onwards her life went downhill. From weakness in her legs, couldn't walk to couldn't get up from bed...bedridden and soon the mind too began to go. Again her strong and healthy heart refuses to give up on her!

Two healthy and fiercely independent women reduced to 2 lumps of flesh totally dependant on others for all their needs...suffer the indignity of having others to feed you, wash you, change for you, wear pampers like babies....So sad...

So I began to ask myself...Do I want to live until nature (or God) decides its time for me to die? Why do we not have the right to die just as we have the right to live? Is it not better that we be allowed to decide when we are tired of living and are able to plan our death in the way we want...with dignity!