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In Western cultures, death is often considered an unpleasant, almost taboo discussion. It reminds one of mortality, and even well-intended productive conversations around the matter can upset those who don't want to imagine life without their loved ones or favorite people. And yet, being unprepared for the eventuality can create massive issues with consent, care, legacy, and autonomy. Utilizing a series of hypotheticals rooted in reality, the author challenges readers to begin thinking not just about their own wishes but also about what those around them might want for themselves, and how to offer them the grace and dignity to make those choices. Each scene offers a different perspective on how to prepare for one's last days and when to let their own feelings in, pulling back the curtain on one of the biggest decisions a person can make.
While fictionalized through situations and scenarios that highlight different ways of thinking about death and dying, each chapter in this book focuses on the different kinds of priorities and values people use to reach their personal decisions about death. The intended result is to engage the reader in thinking about these topics on an individual level and preparing their own decisions. Appendices at the back of the book actually lead the reader toward filling out paperwork and testaments, encouraging the momentum to get something done that they know needs to happen, even if they don't want it to. The challenging nature of this book's subject matter underscores its usefulness and necessity, and can hopefully reduce some of the stigma in the present and some of the confusion in the future about dealing with one's care preferences in their dying days.