Friday, November 07, 2014

On Brittany Maynard And Her Choice To Die

I know that many of you have probably already read a plethora of posts on this topic, but I couldn’t allow it to go by without sharing my own.

I initially planned on posting this last week, however, I didn’t have the right words until Tuesday because this topic is one that invokes a lot of strong opinions and I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to express my own about Brittany Maynard, who was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable brain cancer, and after much consideration, decided to move to Oregon so she could access its Death with Dignity Act by taking life-ending medication.

Over the past month I’ve read comments on several websites about Brittany, and a large percentage of them stated that they thought she was extremely selfish and cowardly in taking her own life because it wasn’t up to her to decide when to die, it should be left in the hands of God.

And I think it’s ironic that people would say that, but then think nothing of someone with a terminal illness taking their life into their own hands by trying every possible intervention to sustain their life so that they wouldn't die, in spite of what God's plan might be. Or what about someone who is terminally ill and decides that at some point they want no life support, is that not taking their life and death into their own hands?

Yes, it is.

So I ask these people who harshly judge Brittany's choice, why is it okay to interfere with the hands of God when someone is trying to prolong their life, but it’s not okay when they make a conscious choice about when it ends? And if you truly believed that a terminal illness and the fate of your life was totally in the hands of God, then you would do nothing to either prolong your life or end it. You would just let God take care of everything and make no choices.

No, I'm sorry, but we all make certain choices when it comes to our life and death.

From watching interviews with Brittany, I know that the choice to end her life was one that was deeply contemplated and not at all selfish or cowardly because it was a decision not only based on herself, but one that considered her family, husband, and friends.

And I’m not exactly sure what her spiritual beliefs were, however, I could sense by listening to Brittany that she had her own personal relationship with a Higher Power.

Therefore the choice she made was between her and that Higher Power.

People can judge all they wish, yet it was the choice she made. And it’s one that I can’t help believing within the center of my heart, was the right one for Brittany.

And on November 1st, she fully embraced that choice.

Rest in Peace, Brittany X

For anyone who hasn’t seen this second and final interview with Brittany, I would like to share it.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! 

X