Today I’m finishing off our contemplation of the Sociology of… Death and building on my conversation with thanatologist Laura Perkins by answering your questions.
Our first question comes from Phil. He asks:
I have a question about time. You asked in your article if anything would change if we knew how long we had to live, and Laura talked about her inability to plan for the future because it’s always uncertain, stating that all we can do is inhabit the now. I agree with this, and yet, life DOES require planning. How can we balance those two competing truths? Chasing and planning for more time, while accepting that this moment may be the last? What does that look like?
This second one comes from Louisa. She asks:
Every time I’ve lost someone close to me, I reflect on all the things I wish we’d done differently. The things left unsaid. The activities and get-togethers put off until “tomorrow” or “someday.” Their dreams and wishes for both living well and dying well, as you talked about, and how I might have better honored them. And each time I swear I don’t want to make those same mistakes with other people in my life or with myself. But I’m not sure where to begin. How can I start creating better deaths by engaging in a better life with those I love and myself?
Listen to the audio (or read the transcript) for my responses. And please share your thoughts in the comments.
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