Illness and death are not failures. What happens to our bodies is ultimately up to our cells, not our souls.
AMSTERDAM, STEVEN
Death & Dying
ANON, ANON
You’ve never lived till you’ve almost died. For those who fight for it life has a flavour the protected will never know.
ANON, ANON
ARNOLD, SUE
There was no magic encounter for me with a whale in the ocean; no being zapped by a whale as I snorkelled in their world. Nothing visible or capable of explanation. In fact, I’d never seen a whale. When I first witnessed their terrible death agony, I couldn’t get the picture of a whale being harpooned out of my mind. It was a hideous mind-blowing sight. That day I recognised a purpose on the journey of my life.
ARNOLD, SUE
CALDICOTT, DR HELEN – on innate goodness
I still trust in it. I have helped a lot of patients on their deathbeds, people who have had a lot of regrets, who didn't live the way they might have, but when they are dying, their soul opens up like a rosebud, and you can see the beauty and goodness in them.
CALDICOTT, DR HELEN - on innate goodness
CARLILE, MOLLY
Sometimes young people do die and it’s really hard, but you can’t do anything to avoid it. But do your best to think about safe ways of doing things and just enjoying the living of your life and not being paranoid about going out too much or eating too much chocolate.
CARLILE, MOLLY
CARLILE, MOLLY – death talker motto
The more we talk, the less we fear. Once people talk it out, they can get on with living, and it’s not hanging there, like the sword of Damocles over their head.
CARLILE, MOLLY - death talker motto
CARR-GREGG, MICHAEL
Grief is like a fingerprint, it’s unique to everyone, and so is the way you process it.
CARR-GREGG, MICHAEL
CHANG, VICTOR
I always get upset when I do this because it means someone has to die so that someone else can live…
CHANG, VICTOR
CLANCY, LAURIE – from his self-penned eulogy
The reaction to my long-term partner, Neelam, on receiving the news of my illness shook and startled me in the extremity of its distress. This was love of quite another order and although I never doubted my love for Neelam, the nature of that love changed quite dramatically. In short, I fell in love all over again but on a new and deeper plain. I discovered I could give myself up to love in a way I had never had before because I was certain my feelings were returned. I could moon about like some crappy-faced teenager and not feel the slightest embarrassment. And that gave me a glorious feeling of liberation.
CLANCY, LAURIE - from his self-penned eulogy
COSTELLO, REVEREND TIM
There are times in life when we have to face the big questions, to look squarely into the face of death and then affirm the sheer gift of life.
COSTELLO, REVEREND TIM