Dear Church Family,

As I begin this article it is a sunny, almost-Spring day. It’s also almost a year since Terry Schiavo, who was around 40 and Pope John Paul II who was in his 80’s died. This morning I received a call from a dear friend whose son, Scott, died last night at the age of 20 after an 8 year battle with leukemia. Does it seem odd to you that I would mention all of those circumstances/events in the same paragraph?

Let me tell you why they all came together in my mind and see if it doesn’t make some sense to you. The one thing that Terry and John Paul II and Scott all have in common is that they died. The circumstances of their dying and their death were only slightly similar in that they all had physically declined over the months or years before their deaths. What they do have in common with all of us is that ALL OF US will one day die. Think back to a year ago, remember the circumstances of Terry’s death and Pope John Paul’s death, one was very stressful, one was very peaceful. The difference as I see it was that Pope John Paul had prepared for his death and made his wishes known. Terry, because she was young, hadn’t made her wishes known. All of us over the age of 18 needs to have an Advance Care Directive on file with our Dr. and our hospital and discuss our wishes with our loved ones. Yes, even Jesus died, though, as Christians we believe He rose again, which kind of leads to the weather – an almost-Spring day.

We celebrate Easter, Christ’s resurrection and our salvation in Spring, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Spring, Resurrection, new life, second chances these things also have some commonality.

As Christians we are taught, and most believe, that when our earthly time is ended, we go on to eternal life, hopefully, in Heaven, Paradise, the Great Beyond (you get the idea). Also as Christians we are taught to be good stewards of our bodies and to care for them to keep them healthy physically, spiritually and emotionally. However, even with the best of care, some day they will fail us.

Although there is nothing we can do to ultimately prevent our death, we CAN and SHOULD do something about our dying. By this I mean, make plans, talk them over with your loved ones and put it in writing.

Yes, I am talking about making a Living Will, Advance Care Directive, whatever name you want to give it. Because we are Christians, the idea of dying should not be one that truly strikes fear in our hearts. We have that second chance, that gift of the Resurrection, that Eternal Spring to look forward to.

When we are ill and dying it will be a stressful time for our loved ones. Do you want to add to that stress or do you want to make it a time when they can focus on their relationships with you and each other in a positive and life-giving way?

Making our wishes known for our end of life care does NOT mean it will happen sooner. Making plans for our future is something we should be doing from the time we are young. We start 401K’s, college funds for our children, vacation funds and Christmas funds. None of those plans changes the time line in which those things happen. It does however give us some control over what happens when that time does arrive. It also lets us enjoy those times with our families, because we’ve planned ahead.

Make it a point to get your Advance Directive done now, in the springtime of your life! You can get one from your Doctor, clinic or hospital or from your Parish nurse. They are relatively easy to fill out but please call me with any questions you may have and I will be happy to help you. Remember, EVERYONE in your family 18 and older should have one filled out and on file.

This month as we celebrate Easter, let us remember what Jesus told us in John 11:25 “I am the Resurrection AND the Life, whoever believes in me, even if they die, will live”. That is a promise we can live with!

God’s richest blessings and

my love and prayers,

Maureen Redmer, RN, Parish Nurse

Aurora Parish Nurse Program

April 2006