Vigil
I once read a letter written by a young invalid, in which he told a friend that he had just found out he would not live for long, that even an operation would be of no help. He wrote further that he remembered a film he had seen in which a man was portrayed who waited for death in a courageous and dignified way. The boy had thought it a great accom
... See moreViktor E Frankl • Man's Search For Meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust
You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who. Now you are getting confused in the head, he thought. You must keep your head clear. Keep your head clear and know how to suffer
... See moreERNEST HEMINGWAY • THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA: LIBRARY ROAD CLASSIC
Somehow the concept didn’t occur to me, even when I saw people my own age die. I had a white coat on; they had a hospital gown.
Atul Gawande • Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
And that is correct, but Napoleon's reaction to Ney's death are from 1816, here what he says the 9th april 1821 : " You are not mistaken," he told them, "I am feeling better today; but I can still sense that my end is near. When I am gone, each of you will have the sweet consolation of returning to Europe. Some of you will see your families again, ... See more