Hands Across the Seas
Musafir's Musings

Hands Across the Seas, Part I
A Friend's Decision to Die with Dignity
"The winds that blow-- ask them,
which leaf of the tree
will be next to go"
---Soseki (translated by Harold Henderson)
A friend, Sarah M, who lives in Sussex, UK, was recently diagnosed with cancer of the bladder. It is a horrible, painful, degrading disease. She has decided to avoid going through the various stages of treatment which could prolong her remaining days.
Sarah is a passionate activist in human rights causes and justice for the Palestinians. Widely traveled, she is a voracious reader, enjoys gardening, pets, and music. While the NHS in Britain does not have provision for pro-active measures to hasten death, one gets the impression that it is less rigid in its position than the American system under pressure of religious and political organizations to which 'euthanasia' is a dirty word.