Who’s going to pull the plug for you God forbid you end up on life support? That’s a question I Yvonne Chase as a childless single woman in this world has to answer because dying is a part of living.
It’s fresh on my mind because John Singleton died last Monday at the young age of 51. Upon returning home from a trip to Costa Rica, John took himself to Cedar Sinai hospital to get checked out. While there, he had a stroke, ended up on life support and never made it back home. His family pulled the plug. Unfortunately, John suffered secretly with hypertension. If you don’t know who John is, he was the youngest person and first African American to ever be nominated for an Oscar award for his blockbuster movie Boyz n the Hood.
This post is not about John Singleton per se however it’s about dying and the choices single people have to make. John was single. As I think about his death, it forced me to think about estate planning; preparing documents like a will, healthcare proxy, and getting life insurance. These are all things that I am going to need God forbid the inevitable happens and I can’t make decisions for myself.
Who will be at my bedside praying Heaven down for healing and that Gods ultimate will be done? These are all questions I have to answer. Dying is a part of living. It’s going to happen to all of us one day and as the Bible says no man knows the day or the hour.
Do you have a will/trust in place? A health care proxy? Who will make decisions for you when you can’t make them for yourself? What about life insurance? Many of us fear talks about dying. I don’t, because the truth of the matter is it will knock at our doorsteps one day.
The other issue that’s at the top of my mind in light of John’s passing is our health. Hypertension is literally killing the black community. More than 40% of black men and women have it and black men are at a higher risk of having a stroke than any other group in the United States. We need to get it under control. Health is wealth. We are called to be good stewards over everything God has given to us and that includes our temple; our bodies.
After my relationship with God, my health is my number one priority. Without it, I have nothing. As I move about the streets of NYC, I am shocked at the number of overweight people I see in my community day in and day out. I don’t understand it because, since my return to this city five years ago, I’ve easily lost weight. I mean with going up and down the subway stairs multiple times a day, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, working out at least three times/week and moving through the city, it’s easy to do, so what gives?
Food; what we eat, when we eat and how we eat is a huge factor. I’m not suggesting everyone eat a 90% plant-based alkaline diet like me, however, I am suggesting we take inventory of what’s in our refrigerators, pantries and on our grocery lists.
In addition, we need to look at our family tree to see what diseases are lurking in the roots. Most importantly, we need to care about our bodies. We need to realize our bodies are the vessel that carries us through life. It’s the car that takes us to and from our destination.
Think about your car if you have one. How far do you think it would take you if you didn’t take care of it? What would happen if you changed the oil whenever you felt like it? How well do you think it would run if you never rotate the tires, check the brakes and batteries and take it in for its annual maintenance?
Have you had your annual physical exam this year? Men don’t like going to the doctor. We must encourage them to go. One of my male associates hasn’t been to a doctor in thirty years and refuses to go. He says he feels fine and rarely gets sick. I’m not a fan of western medicine, however, I do think its’ a good idea to have our blood drawn once a year to make sure our innards are working well.
Health is more than physical; it’s emotional, spiritual and mental. How’s your soul? Do you sleep well at night or are you up filled with anxiety and worry? Are you dealing with the trauma in your life through therapy, counseling, coaching or otherwise? Chronic illnesses like cancer and autoimmune diseases are tied to our emotions.
With all that said, you could be healthy, take ill and die suddenly as Christian writer Rachel Held Evans did over the weekend at the even younger age of 37. She too went to the hospital and never made it back home. Her husband pulled the plug after she ended up on life support due to complications from the flu and other symptoms.
So, what’s the takeaway? In her final blog post dated March 6th, Rachel reminded us that death is a part of life. I say we act like we know it and live accordingly. Sobering thoughts…
Something to think about…
What say you? Do you think about dying? Have you done estate planning? Why? Why not? What’s your takeaway from this post?
Here are 2 things I’d like you to do now:
1. Leave a comment below
2. Share this post if you like it
{ 33 comments }
51
