I think you could say we have had our first real Summer's \day today - warm and sunny with just a light breeze, and it has been lovely. It is my hairdressing day when the taxi calls for me early in the morning to take me the mile or so to the hairdressers. My little treat to myself which makes me feel better throughout the week.
I arrived home with just enough time to do the Times Mind Games before my Tesco order arrived. When it came I was in the sitting room and I heard a light tap on the window. Then I thought I had imagined it but I went through to the kitchen to see and there on the kitchen floor was my shopping and the Tesco driver just about to phone me to see if I was there.
It takes me a while to put away as I have to transport everything on my trolley but it all gets done eventually and I decided there was just time for my walk before lunch. After a busy morning my walk was a slow one and after my lunch I sat in the chair and promptly fell asleep for a while. I had intended to cut off the flower heads from my fading Hellebore after lunch - my garden has many Hellebore seedlings so this year the plant may as well put its spare energy into its growing rather than reproduction, But I was too tired so that will be a job for tomorrow - luckily the parent plant is right on the patio side so I can easily reach it with the secateurs,
I was pleased I wasn;t out in the garden because my old school friend called and we had a nice long chat. So that has totted my chat total up nicely today.
I am a member of MDMD (My Death My Decision) which is an organisation in favour of legally assisted dying where people are incurably ill. There has recently been an article by TonyNicklinson's daughter, Lauren, about her father's dreadful struggle. There is a Bill going through The Lords at present and MDMD would like anyone who is in favour to sign the petition. I know this is a absolutely personal decision - I made the decision to join with the full agreement of my family and I believe in it absolutely. It is not a decision I took lightly and I totally appreciate it is a personal view not shared by everyone. But if any of you who read my blog do agree with that line of approach when one is incurably ill (I have nursed two husbands through this ordeal, so I have had experience of it) then please feel free to go to the My Death My Decision site where there is a petition you are invited to sign.
Until tomorrow dear friends.....
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15 comments:
Yes, for those who choose, it should be allowed. A good friend of mine went to Dignitas in Switzerland, last year; her life was becoming intolerable, battling MS and bowel cancer; when lockdown was lifted in September, they made it - just. People in that situation shouldn't have to spend their last days battling with long journeys.
I will search for that petition and sign it. I had not heard of it before but did sign a 'do not resusitate' form two or three years ago.
It has been a glorious day here too - windows open and no heating. Wonderful at last. More please.
Now you have the warm weather and we have the chill! It's all right with me as I don't enjoy it when it is too hot out.
We don't have MDMD as far as I know over here in Illinois. But I agree with your opinion of it.
Well done you for backing a cause you believe in - all these things are of course for us each to decide but it is right that we have the opportunity to show support and sign petitions - it is one of the benefits of the internet that petitions now have more reach and weight. Perhaps you might blog more about this issue in future - I for one would think it's a worthy subject. I shall look out for the passage of the bill too.
Good for you for supporting a cause you believe in. It's important and each individual should have this right.
I agree with you, 100%.
MDMD doesn't go down will with much of my country. We're more medieval than we let on.
Of course 'assisted dying' should be allowed, but there must be very strict regulations. There will always be someone who wants to kill-off Granny for her millions.
You had a busy day! Do you sometimes wonder how you did it all when you were still working?
The MDMD cause has been widely and controversely discussed here, too. I am not sure where we currently stand with legislation, but at the turn of 2019/2020, just before the pandemic hit and all attention in the news shifted to Covid, there were several very interesting and good articles about it in my weekly paper, talking about plans to change legistlation here, so that doctors who were involved on the patient's request would not be committing a crime anymore.
Will go and sign the MDMD, I know it is somewhat controversial in some quarters, but we have the right to call an end to our own lives when life itself becomes to painful to bear.
My friend Geraldine McClleland took herself off to Switzerland, with the help of her friends, to end her life. She had cancer, lived alone and did not want to be a burden on anyone. It is well documented on the internet and if anyone wants to read her story you can Google her name and it will come up. She worked for the BBC. It puts this into perspective.
Thank you for your interest in MDMD - it will always be a controversial decision to end one's life prematurely but to my mind it should always be a totally perssonal one. I appreciate your interest - and thanks to some of you who say who will read and sign. The story of one man's suffering makes difficult reading.
I'm in agreement and would be interested in learning more about MDMD - don't think we have anything like that over here.
I live in Canada where we have a Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) option. Initially there were very strict limitations as to who would qualify for this but, gradually, some changes have made it more accessible to people with a variety of quality of life issues. My father was a strong proponent of MAID and, when he faced a critical illness at the age of 96, he chose the MAID option rather than lingering indefinitely in discomfort. I must say that although I was not sure about his decision at the time, it gave him some control, gave the family an opportunity to gather and support him, allowed us to say our goodbyes and hold his hand as he left us. Of course it's not for everyone but my father was very happy to have the choice.
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