Читать книгу Before We Say Goodbye: Preparing for a Good Death - Ray Simpson - Страница 25

Not one cell of our bodies is built to last for ever. We are designed to grow out of each stage of our life on earth. Being born, growing up, maturing, ageing and dying are all part of a natural process. If we cooperate with this process throughout our lives, we are more likely to co-operate with it at our end.

Cosmetic surgery can disguise or delay our ageing for a short time only. Deep-freezing our bodies at or near death merely delays the inevitable, and stores up future discontinuities.

We co-operate when we accept what is happening to our bodies: we can no longer play football; the menopause arrives; wrinkles appear; hairs go grey; teeth fall out; we need others to assist us.

To co-operate also means that we stop pretending to be what we are not. Why pretend to be a spring chicken if we are in fact a golden oldie? We can still aim to be our best. If we are an oldie, we can aim to be a glorious golden oldie. We can aim to grow old gracefully.