Published in the New York Times, April 3, 2020
To the Editor:
“I Love the World, but I Cannot Stay,” by Mary Pipher (Sunday Review, March 8), captures a sentiment that many of us older people try to articulate to our families and friends. How do I want to deal with death and what should I expect when I die?
It makes me wonder why more people don’t want to make efforts to manage their death in a way that supports their beliefs. I suspect that some people will be discussing this as they deal with the Covid-19 virus and all of its unknowns.
I, for one, want to live as long as I can without severe suffering or a significant loss of autonomy. I don’t want doctors to tell me when I should die, and I don’t want to waste a lot of money trying to live for a few more months.
I have procured the things I need for a peaceful death, and hope that I never have to use them, but feel very good knowing that I have them.
Brian Ruder
Portland, Ore.
The writer is president of the Final Exit Network.
They are my sentiments exactly. But how do I go about getting what I would need. It’s not easy