"People living deeply have no fear of death."

~ Anais Nin

Funny thing about death is that it's a part of life. Death comes for all of us eventually. She visits some many times before finally taking them on the journey home. Others she warns of her coming far off in the horizon. We shouldn't avoid her company.

This is something I struggle with quite often. How often is health care just an avoidance of death? Most would agree that an early dinner guest can be quite unsettling, but being a little late isn't all that unacceptable, maybe even preferential. We think of death in the same way. "Get here on time, but if your late I'll certainly understand," we tell her.

We shut the curtains, dim the lights, and speak softly hoping that Death won't hear, but if she should that we might have a few last words to our loved ones. We really should be comfortable enough to open the door with bags packed, so to speak, ready to go. But then, when do we expect Death?

A nasty scrape? animal bite? indigestoin? AIDS? Cancer? Truth is that Death is in some way always a mystery guest. Even when she says "I'll be along shortly" we don't really know. Thousands of years ago cutting your finger, or smashing it with a blunt object guaranteed Death's visit. Anymore, medicines take care of most everything. That is, if the medicine is available, or within someones means. No one wishes any other to suffer, but death is a part of life.

I struggle with this because I love my sister. In some roundabout way I suppose her illness will invite Death eventually. Until then, and that time appears far off, I'm cherishing my sister. However, I've also come to accept that people die. I will die, as will my friends, and when Death comes for any of us I will not fight her. She is not to be feared, or ignored; she is a part of each of our lives.

Still, when to treat the ill, when to acknowledge that death is ringing the doorbell . . . I can't explain how I balance this out, but I do.

We avoid death because we squander our days. "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom," the Psalmist says to God. We can only waste what is finite. Our days are numbered always, not just when we count them.

All of this to say that I really dislike the idea of socialist healthcare. People die. Let's get over it together.