This hypothetical is particularly for people in long term relationships. We all understand that we will not pass away on the same day as our significant other, holding hands at a ripe old age of 89.
That said, what would be your preferred scenario? Specifically it’s interesting for me because, after my father died in 2009, we asked our mother a while later what her plans were. She claimed she hadn’t thought it thru. To me, that was just amazing. They were apx the same age, but he was in much worse health, the odds that she was going to be left behind were tremendous, but still she never thought it thru.
If you could write the script, what would your preferred scenario be? Would you wait for a certain life event? Would you prefer quick and (relatively) painless or would you rather keep hanging around? Would you rather be left or the one to go first?
Personally, I wouldn’t want to hang around and be a bother to other people. But I also wouldn’t want to be snuffed out like a candle. Doctor give me 4-6 months, I’d be OK. Enough time to possibly go on short trip and enough time to see people one last time. I don’t want to suffer and I sure as hell don’t want my wife to suffer. I seem to be much more comfy being alone, so I think I’d rather be left behind, but seeing we are the same age and I’m male, the odds aren’t that great.
Difficult subject I know, but at least tell me that I’m not odd for running the various scenarios thru my head. I saw how miserable my mother was without someone to take care of and I have to think that her last 18 months may have been happier with a little forethought.